If you prioritize performance for tasks like engineering, the ASUS Vivobook 15, with a more capable processor and additional memory, will serve you better. However, the Gateway 14.1" may offer you better portability due to its lighter weight and more compact size, along with a marginally higher portability score, making it easier to carry around. For general use, both laptops are equipped with the same screen resolution and display type, but the Vivobook has a larger screen, which might be more comfortable for extended use. The trade-off comes in battery life, where the Gateway outperforms, and price, with the Gateway being the less expensive option. If you plan to do gaming or intensive graphics work, neither of these laptops is suitable, as both lack a dedicated graphics card and hardware necessary for those 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 ASUS Vivobook 15
Good overall build quality
Advantages of the Gateway 14.1"
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
5.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook 15 provides better general use experience with a more powerful Intel i3 processor, double the RAM, and higher screen brightness compared to the Gateway 14.1" which has a less capable Intel Celeron processor, less RAM, and lower screen brightness, impacting performance and visual clarity. Despite the Gateway having better portability due to being lighter, the ASUS' superior CPU, memory, and display attributes contribute to its more favorable evaluation for general use.
Engineering and Design
6.1/10
5.5/10
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 14.1" is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook 15, equipped with a better CPU, more RAM, and higher GPU capabilities, is better suited for engineering and design tasks compared to the Gateway 14.1", which has a weaker CPU, less RAM, and a lesser GPU, making it less capable of handling such demanding applications effectively. Furthermore, the screen quality of the ASUS, marked by higher coverage of color spaces important for design work, adds to its fair usability in these fields, whereas the Gateway's lower screen quality metrics align with its poor performance in engineering and design use.
Content Creation
6.4/10
5.8/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair 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
6.5/10
5.8/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair 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
6.3/10
6.0/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.1in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has a better screen than the Gateway 14.1" for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, both the ASUS Vivobook 15 and the Gateway 14.1" have screens that offer adequate resolution and brightness, ensuring comfortable everyday tasks like web browsing, video streaming, and document editing. However, in engineering and design, professionals may find the color accuracy and range lacking, as these laptops do not provide wide color gamuts needed for precision work. When it comes to Gaming and 3D, the lower refresh rates of these laptops' displays could affect the smoothness and responsiveness, which are critical for fast-paced visuals and interactive experiences.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has 6 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
7.0/10
5.1/10
The ASUS Vivobook 15 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
$530
$99
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has a price of $530 and the Gateway 14.1" costs $99.
The ASUS Vivobook 15 and Gateway 14.1" are both poor for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Vivobook 15 offers better gaming and 3D performance primarily due to its more capable Intel i3-1215U UHD Graphics, in contrast to the Gateway 14.1" which is equipped with the less powerful Intel UHD Graphics 600. Furthermore, the Vivobook has a somewhat higher screen quality with better color space coverage, ensuring a more vibrant gaming experience, whereas the Gateway falls behind with lower color space coverage and less overall screen quality.
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.1in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gateway 14.1" to have very good portability, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the ASUS Vivobook 15 and the Gateway 14.1" compare to other laptops
"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."
"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 ASUS Vivobook 15 or the Gateway 14.1"
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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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.
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