Choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and the Gateway 15.6" involves considering several tradeoffs. The MacBook Pro is more expensive but offers better performance, a high-quality Mini LED screen, and longer battery life, making it suitable for intensive engineering work, 3D rendering, and machine learning. The smaller size and light weight make it quite portable for its power. On the other hand, the Gateway has a lower price and a standard IPS display, making it more accessible but less capable for demanding tasks. It's larger and heavier, making it less ideal for frequent travel. If your priority is high-end performance and portability, the MacBook Pro is the better option, while the Gateway is more budget-friendly for general use. 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 Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023)
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Gateway 15.6"
The Gateway 15.6" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.5/10
7.0/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for general use, while the Gateway 15.6" is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is highly regarded for general use due to its powerful Apple M2 Pro CPU, a large amount of fast RAM, excellent screen quality with Mini LED technology and high resolution, and significant battery capacity, all packed in a lightweight and slim design.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.0/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is better for 3D rendering due to its powerful integrated GPU and higher screen refresh rate, which provide smoother visuals and faster processing of complex 3D tasks, but it falls short for gaming compatibility as many games don't run on macOS.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
6.2/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is better suited for engineering and design use due to its stronger CPU and GPU, superior screen quality with higher resolution and brightness, and greater color accuracy, which are crucial for design work. In contrast, the Gateway 15.6" has an adequate CPU and GPU for general use but falls short in screen quality and color accuracy, making it less ideal for detailed engineering or design tasks.
Content Creation
8.5/10
7.0/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for content creation, while the Gateway 15.6" is good.
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
8.4/10
6.7/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
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
9.2/10
6.1/10
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Gateway 15.6" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14's screen excels in clarity, color accuracy, and is brightly lit, which enhances the viewing experience for tasks like document editing and web browsing, and professionals in engineering and design will appreciate the wider color gamut for precision in their work. However, it isn't designed for high refresh rates, making it less suitable for 3D applications and games that benefit from smoother motion. On the other hand, the Gateway 15.6" offers decent resolution and acceptable brightness for everyday tasks and sufficient for casual design work, but it falls short for gaming and 3D due to limited color range and lower refresh rates.
Battery
13.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Gateway 15.6" 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
Very Good
Good
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has very good portability, while the Gateway 15.6" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
5.1/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Gateway 15.6" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,700
$400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has a price of $1,700 and the Gateway 15.6" costs $400.
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
"Some concessions have to be made when shopping for a budget laptop. Walmart's Gateway Ultra Slim laptops succeeds on the affordability front and delivers serviceable specs and good battery life, though it's hard to claim it's the best (or even particularly good) at any particular aspect. Its build quality, especially the touchpad, is mediocre, and its performance is decent but doesn't lead the way. The Gateway does undercut the cost of some competitors and offers ample storage with good connectivity, so it's not to be ignored."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) or the Gateway 15.6"
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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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