The ASUS Vivobook 15 and the Gateway 11.6" both target budget-conscious buyers, but they differ in their offerings. The Vivobook 15 costs more but provides a larger screen, more storage, and better performance, making it suitable for general use and light engineering tasks. With an Intel i3 processor and 8GB of RAM, it is capable of handling multiple applications at once and is useful for everyday activities. On the other hand, the Gateway 11.6" is less expensive with a smaller screen and less power under the hood, sporting an Intel Celeron processor and 4GB of RAM, making it ideal for very basic tasks and extreme portability. Neither are built for intensive gaming or heavy-duty 3D/machine learning applications. The Vivobook has a full HD screen which means clearer images and text, while the Gateway's display is lower resolution. If longevity away from a power source is vital, you may need to consider that the battery life of the Vivobook is roughly 6 hours. The Gateway 11.6" does not have a stated battery life, but it is lighter, enhancing its portability. If you prefer a compact and highly portable laptop for simple tasks and lower cost is key, the Gateway might be your choice; but if you need a more versatile device with better overall performance, the ASUS Vivobook 15 would be the better 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 ASUS Vivobook 15
Good overall build quality
Advantages of the Gateway 11.6"
Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
5.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.1/10
The ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook 15 offers better performance for general use with its superior processor, double the RAM and storage, and a higher quality screen over the Gateway 11.6", which has a less powerful CPU and half the RAM and storage, leading to poorer overall usability. While the Gateway wins in portability with its smaller size and lighter weight, it falls short in battery life and its display's lower resolution and reduced brightness make for a less satisfactory viewing experience compared to the ASUS Vivobook 15.
Gaming and AI
5.9/10
5.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS Vivobook 15 and Gateway 11.6" are both poor for gaming and AI, though the ASUS Vivobook 15 is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
6.1/10
5.4/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook 15 is fair for engineering and design due to its more capable CPU, adequate RAM, and decent GPU, which support software used in such tasks, while the Gateway 11.6" is deemed poor because its less powerful CPU, minimal RAM, and inferior GPU struggle with the demands of engineering and design applications. Despite its better portability and quieter operation, the Gateway falls short with a lower screen quality that affects the visualization of detailed designs compared to the ASUS, which offers a better balance of performance and screen quality for such workloads.
Content Creation
6.4/10
5.7/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair 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
6.5/10
5.7/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair 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
6.3/10
5.7/10
15.6in
SIZE
11.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has a better screen than the Gateway 11.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the ASUS Vivobook 15 provides satisfactory display sharpness and brightness but may not impress with its panel technology, whereas the Gateway's smaller size and lower resolution result in a less satisfying viewing experience. In engineering and design tasks, the Vivobook's display lacks wide color coverage essential for precision work, and the Gateway's screen, being poorer overall, falls even shorter in this aspect. When it comes to 3D and gaming, the Vivobook's screen falls behind due to a less fluid refresh rate, while the Gateway's limitations in both refresh rate and resolution significantly hinder the gaming and 3D rendering experience.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has 6 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
Good
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
11.6in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Gateway 11.6" has excellent portability, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
5.1/10
The ASUS Vivobook 15 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
$530
$89
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has a price of $530 and the Gateway 11.6" costs $89.
"The Asus VivoBook 15 is a quiet office notebook with a strong screen. However, the VivoBook 15 still has room for improvement. Office and internet applications as well as simple games do not pose any major challenges for the VivoBook - this is ensured by the built-in combination of Ryzen 7 5700U APU and 16 GB of RAM. Heat and noise emissions are acceptable. But, the laptop has weaknesses that should not be present at this level: lack of keyboard lighting, a slow memory card reader, no fast USB-C port (USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt 4) with Power Delivery and DisplayPort. Battery runtimes can only be described as average."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook 15 or the Gateway 11.6"
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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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