If you're seeking a more budget-friendly laptop for general use or basic tasks, the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is a good choice due to its lower price. However, keep in mind that it has a smaller screen with less sharp display, less processing power, and less storage. On the other hand, if you need more power for tasks like intensive engineering, 3D work, machine learning, or gaming, and you don't mind spending more, the Gateway 15.6" is a better fit. It offers a larger, sharper display, a more powerful processor, and more storage which is useful for demanding applications. The Gateway also has a larger form factor which could affect portability. 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 Go 12
Excellent portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Gateway 15.6"
Good for general use
Good for content creation
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
7.0/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
9.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Gateway 15.6" is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12, with its basic Intel Celeron processor and only 4GB of RAM, struggles with multitasking and may not handle general use smoothly, while its lower-quality TN screen can also affect user experience. Conversely, the Gateway 15.6" with a more capable Intel i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a higher-quality IPS screen delivers better performance for everyday tasks and a more pleasant viewing experience, balanced by being less portable due to its larger size and weight.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
6.0/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Gateway 15.6" is only fair for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is not suitable for gaming and 3D tasks due to its low-performance CPU, an Intel Celeron N4020, and a basic GPU, the Intel UHD Graphics 600 which lack advanced features like hardware ray tracing and are not designed for high refresh rates. In contrast, the Gateway 15.6" offers a more capable Intel i5-1135G7 CPU and Intel Iris Xe graphics which are fair for gaming and have support for essential gaming features such as hardware ray tracing, appealing to those interested in moderate gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
5.3/10
6.2/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gateway 15.6" is only fair for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has a basic Intel Celeron processor, limited RAM, and an entry-level GPU, making it poor for engineering due to its inability to handle complex computations and multitasking efficiently. On the other hand, the Gateway 15.6" with its more advanced Intel i5 processor, more RAM, and superior Intel Iris Xe graphics, offers fair performance for engineering and design tasks that require more processing power and better screen quality.
Content Creation
5.7/10
7.0/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gateway 15.6" is good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 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
5.7/10
6.7/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Gateway 15.6" is only fair for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 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
5.1/10
6.1/10
11.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The Gateway 15.6" has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Gateway 15.6" offers a better experience with its fair screen quality, providing clearer images and text due to its higher resolution and better brightness, making it easier on the eyes during daily tasks when compared to the ASUS Vivobook Go 12's poor screen quality. In the context of engineering and design, the Gateway displays colors more accurately due to wider color gamuts, which are crucial for precise visual work, while the ASUS falls short, not reproducing a wide range of colors necessary for professional editing and modeling. When it comes to 3D and gaming, the Gateway's limitations are in its refresh rate, which is less smooth than ideal for fast-paced visuals, although the ASUS is even less suitable due to its lower resolution and panel quality, which can't deliver the detailed and responsive visuals gamers and 3D designers need.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has 10 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
Excellent
Good
11.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has excellent portability, while the Gateway 15.6" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$267
$380
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has a price of $267 and the Gateway 15.6" costs $380.
"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 ASUS Vivobook Go 12 or the Gateway 15.6"
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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