If you prioritize a more budget-friendly option and a lightweight, smaller screen for basic tasks, the Gateway 11.6" would be suitable. If you require more power for engineering, better screen quality, and can invest more, the HP 17" Laptop with a larger display and superior performance will better serve your needs, though it is heavier and less portable. Both lack touchscreens and cater to general use, but the HP stands out for more demanding applications and has a longer battery life. Keep in mind the 17-inch HP laptop's improved color coverage if you work with visual media. 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 Gateway 11.6"
Excellent portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the HP 17" Laptop
Good for general use
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
7.3/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
287.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
9.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The HP 17" Laptop is good for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" has a lower quality CPU, less RAM, and a smaller, low-resolution screen, making it poor for general use, whereas the HP 17" Laptop's more powerful CPU, higher RAM, and larger, higher-resolution screen make it better suited for such tasks. Additionally, the HP has a sturdier build and better heat management, but is heavier and less portable, contrasting with the Gateway's excellent portability but compromised performance and build quality.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
6.2/10
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
8.0/10
The HP 17" Laptop is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
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
5.4/10
6.8/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP 17" Laptop is only fair for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" lacks sufficient power and screen quality, with a basic Intel Celeron processor, limited RAM, integrated graphics, and a lower-resolution screen, making it inadequate for demanding engineering and design tasks. In contrast, the HP 17" Laptop offers robust performance with a more advanced AMD Ryzen processor, ample RAM, better integrated graphics, and a larger, higher-resolution screen to efficiently handle engineering-related software and visual workloads.
Content Creation
5.7/10
7.2/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP 17" Laptop is good 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
5.7/10
7.1/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
The HP 17" Laptop is good 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
5.7/10
6.6/10
11.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
287.0 nits
The HP 17" Laptop has a better screen than the Gateway 11.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Gateway 11.6" might disappoint you with its limited screen size and potentially lower resolution and brightness, making tasks like browsing or watching videos less enjoyable. In engineering and design work, accurate color representation is crucial, and with the HP 17" Laptop, you'll get fair screen quality that adequately captures a broad color spectrum but might not reach the high precision required for professional work. When it comes to gaming and 3D, the lower refresh rates on both laptops can hinder the smoothness of fast-paced visuals, with the Gateway's smaller screen further limiting the gaming experience.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Gateway 11.6" has 8 hours of battery life. The HP 17" Laptop has 5.5 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
17.3in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Gateway 11.6" has excellent portability, while the HP 17" Laptop has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
6.0/10
The HP 17" Laptop has only fair 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
$89
$687
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Gateway 11.6" has a price of $89 and the HP 17" Laptop costs $687.
"As far as starter laptops go, the HP Laptop 17 is a sound investment. Sure, it might not be the lightest of options, but what you get for the price is a well-rounded machine that fits multiple niches. Whether it be office duties that require you to multi-task between multiple programs, or study tasks in which you’ll spend hours browsing online, this laptop does it all. Plus, when it's time to unwind, you can watch your favorite shows or movies on a super-wide display. What's best of all is that you can do all this for about half a day on a single charge."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 11.6" or the HP 17" Laptop
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.
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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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