The Acer Swift Edge 16 is typically much more expensive than the Gateway 14.1" but offers significantly better performance suitable for general use, engineering tasks, and can even handle intensive gaming due to its AMD Ryzen 7 processor, ample storage, and higher RAM. Its OLED screen is larger with a higher resolution, better colors, and higher brightness, which is great for professionals who prioritize display quality. However, its battery life isn't as long as some might prefer. The Gateway 14.1", on the other hand, is more budget-friendly with an Intel Celeron processor and basic specifications - appropriate for lighter tasks and general use, but not for performance-intensive applications. It's slightly heavier and has a smaller, lesser-quality screen, making it less ideal for those needing a high-quality display or performance. Choose the Acer if you need advanced capabilities and a superior screen, or opt for Gateway if you're seeking a more affordable, basic laptop for everyday tasks. 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 Edge 16
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Advantages of the Gateway 14.1"
The Gateway 14.1" has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift Edge 16.
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
5.6/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
383.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
8.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is good for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 excels in general use with a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, abundant RAM, high-quality OLED screen, and lightweight design, ensuring smooth performance, vivid visuals, and easy portability. In contrast, the Gateway 14.1" falls short due to its modest Intel Celeron processor, limited RAM, inferior IPS display, and heavier build, which contribute to weaker overall performance and reduced display quality.
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
5.4/10
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 offers superior gaming and 3D performance due to its high-end AMD Radeon 780M GPU, which outperforms the basic Intel UHD Graphics 600 GPU on the Gateway 14.1". Additionally, the Acer's screen refresh rate is double that of the Gateway, which is pivotal for smooth, responsive visuals in gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
5.5/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 offers strong performance for engineering and design with ample RAM, a high-performing Ryzen CPU and Radeon GPU, and a high-resolution OLED screen, all of which support demanding tasks and visual clarity. In contrast, the Gateway 14.1" has less RAM, a basic Intel Celeron processor, less capable integrated graphics, and a standard-resolution IPS display, making it less suitable for intensive engineering software and detailed design work.
Content Creation
8.1/10
5.8/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is very 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
7.9/10
5.8/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 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
8.8/10
6.0/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.1in
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
383.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
The Acer Swift Edge 16 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 Edge 16 likely has a high-resolution display with impressive brightness and color accuracy, making it an excellent choice for both general use and tasks that require precise color representation, such as engineering and design. However, its screen may not have a high refresh rate, which is crucial for a smooth gaming and 3D modeling experience, resulting in a poor rating for those activities. Conversely, the Gateway 14.1" offers an adequate display for general tasks and engineering work with average resolution and color fidelity but falls short for gaming and 3D due to a lower refresh rate and potentially lesser performance in color-rich tasks.
Battery
7.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has 7 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
16.0in
SIZE
14.1in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Gateway 14.1" both have very good portability, though the Acer Swift Edge 16 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
5.1/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 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
$820
$99
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a price of $820 and the Gateway 14.1" costs $99.
"The Acer Swift Edge 16 is a solid super thin-and-light that pairs a large, gorgeous 16-inch display with portable design that rivals the weight of LG’s superlight Gram 16. Remarkably, Acer achieves this at a lower price point without sacrificing performance. Boring design and disappointing battery life hold the laptop back from stardom, but its rivals frequently suffer in these areas, too. That makes the Swift Edge 16 an alluring value pick."
"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 Edge 16 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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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