Based on the comparison, if you're looking for a highly portable laptop with excellent display quality and you're on a tight budget, the ASUS Zenbook 14 is a compelling choice. It has a high-resolution OLED screen and is fairly lightweight, making it convenient for travel and view-intensive tasks. On the other hand, if you require more storage and memory which are beneficial for multitasking and data-intensive tasks, and are willing to accept a heavier device with a traditional IPS screen, the Gateway 15.6" may be more suitable despite its higher cost. Keep in mind that the ASUS comes with a newer version of Windows and its design is newer by a year, which could translate into longer-term support and more modern features. 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 Zenbook 14
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good portability
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Gateway 15.6"
The Gateway 15.6" has no clear advantages over the ASUS Zenbook 14.
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
6.2/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is better suited for engineering and design due to its superior screen quality, boasting an OLED display with higher resolution and color accuracy, which enhances visual clarity and detail, alongside a more capable processor. On the other hand, the Gateway 15.6" offers more RAM, which may benefit multitasking, but falls short in screen quality and processing power, impacting performance in engineering applications and design work.
Screen Quality
8.3/10
6.1/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
339.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a better screen than the Gateway 15.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When selecting a laptop for general use, the Asus Zenbook 14 with its superior screen clarity, resolution, and brightness offers a more comfortable and vivid viewing experience than the Gateway 15.6". For engineering and design tasks where color accuracy is critical, the Zenbook's coverage of color gamuts ensures truer representations of your work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Gateway may not significantly lag behind the Zenbook despite its poorer screen quality, as both aren't optimized for high-refresh-rate experiences critical to these activities.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability, while the Gateway 15.6" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
5.1/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has good 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
$300
$380
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a price of $300 and the Gateway 15.6" costs $380.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 and Gateway 15.6" are both good for general use.
The Gateway 15.6" is rated better for general use than the ASUS Zenbook 14 because it offers more RAM and double the storage capacity, enhancing multitasking and storage space for users. While both have similar CPU and GPU performance, the Gateway 15.6" falls short in terms of screen quality with a lower resolution and brightness, but it compensates with better heat management and a quieter operating noise, making it more comfortable to use for extended periods.
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
6.0/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14 and Gateway 15.6" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook 14, with its higher screen refresh rate and a more vibrant OLED display, may offer smoother visuals for gaming and 3D applications than the Gateway 15.6", which has a standard screen refresh rate and an IPS display. However, both use the same integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, which can handle less demanding games and 3D work but are not as powerful as dedicated gaming GPUs.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.0/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook 14 and Gateway 15.6" are both good for content creation.
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
7.2/10
6.7/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook 14 to be 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.
Battery
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has 8 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.
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How the ASUS Zenbook 14 and the Gateway 15.6" compare to other laptops
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
"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 Zenbook 14 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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