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Updated January 10, 2024·
Given your situation, if budget is a significant concern, the Gateway 11.6" may be suitable, as it is significantly less expensive than the Acer Swift Go 14, which offers more storage and memory, a more powerful processor, and higher graphics capabilities. However, with the Acer, you'll get better performance and a larger, higher-resolution screen, which could enhance your experience if you're using it for more demanding applications or multitasking. The Gateway is smaller and lighter, making it more portable, but at the cost of screen size and performance, which could matter if you frequently travel and need something very lightweight. The Acer Swift Go 14 appears to be a newer model with more modern specs overall. So, if you need stronger performance and can afford the higher price, the Acer is a strong choice, otherwise, for basic tasks and a tighter budget, the Gateway will suffice. 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 Go 14
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Gateway 11.6"
- The Gateway 11.6" has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift Go 14.
Key differences
General Use
7.7
5.6
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.1/10
The Acer Swift Go 14 is good for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Acer Swift Go 14 offers better performance for general use due to its robust CPU and ample RAM, which enable smoother multitasking and handling of demanding applications, whereas the Gateway 11.6" has a less powerful processor and significantly less RAM, which may struggle with anything beyond basic tasks. Additionally, the Acer has a higher-quality screen, offering sharper resolution and better color coverage, making it more suitable for long hours of use and media consumption, compared to the Gateway's lower resolution and color accuracy.
Gaming and AI
6.4
5.4
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
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 Go 14 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Acer Swift Go 14 offers a better gaming and 3D experience as it is equipped with a more powerful Intel Iris Xe graphics processor, compared to the Gateway 11.6" which has a lower-end Intel UHD Graphics 600, crucial for rendering games and 3D content smoothly. Furthermore, the Acer's higher resolution and better screen quality will enhance visual clarity and detail, providing a more immersive gaming experience than the Gateway's lower resolution and screen quality.
Engineering and Design
7.2
5.4
7.4/10
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 Go 14 is good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Acer Swift Go 14 is better suited for engineering and design due to its higher-quality display, more powerful processor, and superior integrated graphics capabilities compared to the Gateway 11.6", which falls short with a less powerful processor, lesser graphics performance, and a lower-resolution screen. While both are portable, the Acer's superior CPU, RAM, GPU, and screen quality significantly enhance tasks requiring engineering and design capabilities.
Content Creation
7.6
5.7
7.4/10
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 Swift Go 14 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
7.6
5.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Acer Swift Go 14 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
6.8
5.7
14.0in
SIZE
11.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
The Acer Swift Go 14 has a better screen than the Gateway 11.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift Go 14 offers a display with better resolution and brighter visuals, enhancing the clarity and detail for tasks like web browsing and document editing, which is why it's considered good for general use; for engineering and design, its broader color spectrum facilitates more accurate color representation. Meanwhile, the Gateway 11.6" falls short in these aspects with a display that lacks both the resolution and color accuracy required for these tasks, and its lower quality display isn't suitable for the high refresh rates needed for smooth 3D rendering and gaming experiences.
Build Quality
7.4
5.1
The Acer Swift Go 14 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
$794
$89
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Swift Go 14 has a price of $794 and the Gateway 11.6" costs $89.
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Key similarities
Battery
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Swift Go 14 has 8 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
Excellent
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
11.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.6 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Gateway 11.6" and Acer Swift Go 14 both have excellent portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Swift Go 14 and the Gateway 11.6" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 | Gateway 11.6" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$794 | $89 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | August 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.3'' x 8.6'' x 0.59'' | 11'' x 7.5'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 2.6 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.32" | 11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.58" | 7.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1355U | Intel Celeron N4020 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 4 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 64 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 65 Wh | Unknown | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 11.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 200 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 9.2/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1440p | 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 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Swift Go 14
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | May 2023
"The Acer Swift Go 14 is a surprising machine. Its performance, display, and battery life leave little to be desired from a device at this price. You might think it’d be cheaper given the “Go” in the name, or thinner given its close competition with thin-and-light laptops, but it manages to strike a decent enough balance between its capabilities and hardware to really stand out as an exceptional value."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift Go 14 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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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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