The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) offers a more premium experience with a higher price, larger storage, more RAM, and a more powerful processor and graphics unit, suitable for intensive tasks like 3D work, machine learning, or engineering software. It also boasts a larger, high-resolution Mini LED display, resulting in superior screen quality and color accuracy, and offers a longer battery life. Conversely, the Gateway 14.1" is significantly less expensive with modest specs including less storage and RAM, an Intel Celeron processor, lower screen quality, and is more suited for basic tasks and general use. It's lighter and thus more portable; however, performance is limited especially for demanding applications. 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 16 (Late 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
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Gateway 14.1"
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.8/10
5.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 excels in general use due to its powerful CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality Mini LED screen, which contribute to its excellent portability and long battery life; it also provides a consistent and quiet experience with effective heat management.
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
5.4/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
3456 x 2234
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 16 (Late 2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is well-suited for 3D applications thanks to its powerful GPU and high screen refresh rate, but keep in mind that many popular games aren't compatible with macOS. Conversely, the Gateway 14.1" laptop's lower-performance GPU and standard refresh rate make it less ideal for gaming and 3D tasks, which are also limited by its lower screen quality and CPU capabilities.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
5.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
18.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) excels in engineering and design tasks because of its high-performance CPU, substantial RAM, powerful dedicated GPU, and a high-quality Mini LED screen, which collectively ensure smooth operation and sharp visuals necessary for demanding software and detailed work.
Content Creation
8.9/10
5.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
18.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) 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
8.9/10
5.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
18.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very 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
9.3/10
6.0/10
16.2in
SIZE
14.1in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Gateway 14.1" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 is recognized for its exceptional display, leveraging a high-resolution screen with excellent brightness and color accuracy that covers a wide color gamut, which is why it's outstanding for both general use and demanding engineering/design tasks. On the other hand, for 3D tasks, which prioritize a high refresh rate, the MacBook may not be the best fit as its focus is more on resolution and color rather than refresh speed. The Gateway 14.1", while sufficient for everyday activities and some engineering/design use thanks to its fair resolution and decent color representation, doesn't offer the high refresh rate or exceptional color gamut that specialized tasks such as gaming and 3D rendering and design might require.
Battery
17.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
5.1/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has best in class 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
$2,499
$99
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has a price of $2,499 and the Gateway 14.1" costs $99.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gateway 14.1" to have very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and the Gateway 14.1" compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
"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 Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) or the Gateway 14.1"
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
102,495
Recommendations made
22,208
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.