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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 offers high performance with a powerful processor and graphics card, making it suitable for gaming, 3D modeling, and other intensive tasks. It has a larger display and significantly higher-resolution screen than the Gateway 11.6". In contrast, the Gateway is a budget-friendly option that is more portable due to its smaller size and lighter weight, making it better suited for basic tasks like web browsing and document editing. The tradeoff is clear: invest in the Acer for demanding applications but at a higher cost and with decreased portability, or choose the Gateway for casual use with the benefit of saving money and gaining ease of carrying. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Gateway 11.6"
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.6
5.6
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
373.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
6.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.1/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 offers a powerful Intel i5-13500HX CPU and 16GB of RAM, which are critical for quick and efficient performance in general use, whereas the Gateway 11.6" has a much weaker Intel Celeron N4020 processor and only 4GB of RAM, leading to slower performance for everyday tasks. Furthermore, the Helios Neo 16's larger and higher-quality screen makes it more suitable for multimedia and productivity, but its heavier weight and shorter battery life compromise portability compared to the Gateway 11.6", which excels in portability due to its smaller size and weight but suffers from a low-resolution display and inferior speaker quality.
Gaming and AI
7.5
5.4
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.3
5.4
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.7
5.7
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good for content creation, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.5
5.7
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good for software development, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
7.8
5.7
16.0in
SIZE
11.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
373.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a better screen than the Gateway 11.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16's higher resolution and brighter display make for a clearer and more vibrant viewing experience compared to the Gateway 11.6" which has a lower resolution and brightness, making it less suitable for tasks like browsing or document editing. The Acer's superior color gamut coverage is crucial for accurate color representation in engineering and design, offering more precise color matching than the Gateway, which falls short in this aspect. In contrast, the Acer's lower refresh rate may not be ideal for 3D applications where smoother motion is key, whereas both laptops might not fully satisfy gamers or professionals in 3D fields due to their respective screen limitations.
Battery
5.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 5 hours of battery life. The Gateway 11.6" has 8 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Fair
Excellent
16.0in
SIZE
11.6in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.6 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Gateway 11.6" has excellent portability, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
5.1
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has good build quality, while the Gateway 11.6" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$799
$89
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the Gateway 11.6" costs $89.
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How the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Gateway 11.6" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 | Gateway 11.6" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $89 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | August 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.11'' | 11'' x 7.5'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 2.6 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11" | 7.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500HX | Intel Celeron N4020 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 4 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 64 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | Unknown | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 11.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 373 nits | 200 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 9.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | August 2023
"The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 sacrifices portability and a truly budget price in the name of additional power. While remaining relatively budget-friendly, this gaming laptop packs serious processing chops, and Acer optimizes its internals to deliver respectable 1080p (or 1200p) gameplay from an RTX 4050. Its keyboard and chassis design won't win it any awards, but its display is a cut above for the price."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 or the Gateway 11.6"
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About Gateway
Gateway is a laptop and tablet brand owned by Acer which sells budget-friendly laptops exclusively through Walmart. It was previously an American computer company until its acquisition by Acer in 2007, who then revived the brand in 2020. Gateway laptops are manufactured by Chinese company Shenzhen Bmorn Technology, which also makes EVOO-branded models.
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