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Updated January 10, 2024·
Considering your needs, it's important to know that the Acer Swift 3 offers a significantly more robust performance with a better processor, more RAM, and larger storage, which makes it well-suited for general use, engineering tasks, and more demanding applications. The Gateway 14.1" has a lower-end processor and less RAM, making it more suitable for basic tasks like web browsing and document editing. The Acer Swift 3 has a touchscreen and a higher-quality display, although both laptops have similar screen sizes and resolutions. If long battery life is crucial for you, the Acer has a rated battery life suitable for all-day use. The Gateway is slightly heavier and bulkier, which may affect its portability. If price is a primary concern, the Gateway is less expensive, but you'll be compromising on performance and capacity. For a balance between price and performance, the Acer Swift 3 would be the preferable option. 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 Swift 3
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall build quality
- Very good battery life
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Gateway 14.1"
- The Gateway 14.1" has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift 3.
Key differences
General Use
7.7
5.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift 3 is good for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Acer Swift 3 offers a stronger CPU and more RAM, which means faster performance and better multitasking, along with a higher quality screen and longer battery life, enhancing the overall user experience for general tasks. In contrast, the Gateway 14.1" has a less powerful CPU and less RAM, which may lead to slower performance, and it also has a lower quality screen and shorter battery life, which can detract from the user experience.
Gaming and AI
6.3
5.4
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift 3 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Acer Swift 3 offers fair performance in gaming and 3D applications mainly because it is equipped with Intel's Iris Xe graphics, which offer decent power for casual gaming and entry-level 3D tasks. In contrast, the Gateway 14.1" is poor for gaming and 3D due to its Intel UHD Graphics 600, which is significantly less powerful, making it less suitable for demanding visual tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.1
5.5
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Acer Swift 3 is good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Acer Swift 3 is equipped with a stronger CPU, more RAM, and a better GPU, all of which contribute to superior performance in engineering and design tasks compared to the Gateway 14.1", which has a lower-tier CPU, less RAM, and a less capable GPU. Additionally, the Acer has a higher-quality screen which is crucial for design work, while the Gateway's less impressive screen quality and underpowered hardware make it ill-suited for such demanding applications.
Content Creation
7.6
5.8
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift 3 is good for content creation, while the Gateway 14.1" 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
7.6
5.8
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Acer Swift 3 is good for software development, while the Gateway 14.1" 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
6.8
6.0
14.0in
SIZE
14.1in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
The Acer Swift 3 has a better screen than the Gateway 14.1" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift 3's screen boasts higher resolution and brightness, providing crisp and clear visuals that enhance everyday tasks and detailed engineering work, but it falls short for gaming due to its lower refresh rate, which can make fast-paced action appear less smooth. The Gateway 14.1", with its fair screen quality, offers a balanced but not exceptional viewing experience for both general use and engineering purposes, lacking the high resolution and color accuracy that professionals might need for precision work. Both laptops are less suited for gaming and 3D; despite adequate resolution and panel types, their refresh rates aren't designed for the fast frame transitions required in high-end gaming or 3D rendering.
Battery
12.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The Gateway 14.1" 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
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.1in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift 3 and Gateway 14.1" both have very good portability, though the Acer Swift 3 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
5.1
The Acer Swift 3 has good build quality, while the Gateway 14.1" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$500
$99
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the Gateway 14.1" costs $99.
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How the Acer Swift 3 and the Gateway 14.1" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | Gateway 14.1" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $99 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | August 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 13.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 3.35 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 13.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 8.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | Intel Celeron N4020 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 4 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 64 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | Unknown | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14.1" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 309 nits | 208 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Swift 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | February 2022
"With the Swift 3, Acer delivers a 14-inch laptop with a sleek, slim metal chassis. The latter is of high quality and sturdy enough for everyday use, which is a real plus point among the 700-Euro (~$798) models. A new feature is Thunderbolt 4 in the Type-C format for peripherals or even displays (DisplayPort via Type-C). Unfortunately, a card reader is still missing, and the RAM is completely onboard, so there are no upgrade options here. Acer's 14-incher is affordable, yet it does everything most would want from a truly mobile laptop: Long battery life, a great display, quality, sufficient ports, light weight, and low noise and heat emissions."
Gateway 14.1"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | September 2021
"The Gateway Ultra Slim 14" is surprisingly quiet with long battery life. The inexpensive Gateway excels at maximizing performance per dollar with lots of RAM and storage, super-quiet fan, and a long battery life. It can even house up to two M.2 SSDs which we weren't expecting from such a cheap system. However, the iffy reliability of the keyboard and USB-C port on our test unit means users should double-check for these potential issues immediately after purchasing."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the Gateway 14.1"
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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