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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Gateway 11.6" is a more budget-friendly option and is lighter, which makes it more portable; however, it has less storage, a smaller screen, and lower resolution. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 offers a larger screen with higher resolution and touchscreen capability, more storage, and better performance for general use and multitasking due to double the RAM and a more recent processor. If battery life is important, the Lenovo IdeaPad also lasts longer on a single charge. Choose the Gateway if cost and portability are your priorities, otherwise, the Lenovo offers better performance and features for general and more demanding 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 Gateway 11.6"
- Excellent portability
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
- Good for general use
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
5.6
7.0
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
9.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is good for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
5.4
5.9
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
9.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 and Gateway 11.6" are both poor for gaming and AI, though the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
5.4
6.1
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is only fair for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" is limited in engineering and design tasks due to its less powerful Intel Celeron processor, lower RAM, and basic Intel UHD Graphics; moreover, it has a smaller, lower resolution screen which is not ideal for detailed work.
Content Creation
5.7
7.2
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
7.1
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
6.4
11.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has a better screen than the Gateway 11.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Gateway's screen may appear grainy or less sharp due to its lower resolution which is more noticeable during general activities like browsing the web or working on documents. For engineering and design tasks, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 offers somewhat better color reproduction, which is crucial for accurate visuals, but still might not meet the high standards required for professional color work. When it comes to gaming and 3D, the Gateway's lack of a high refresh rate means that fast-paced visuals might not be as smooth, and both laptops might struggle with clarity and motion due to their moderate resolution and panel technology.
Battery
8.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Gateway 11.6" has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has 10 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
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Gateway 11.6" has excellent portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1
6.5
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
$400
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
The Gateway 11.6" has a price of $89 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 costs $400.
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How the Gateway 11.6" and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gateway 11.6" | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$89 | $400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2021 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11'' x 7.5'' x 0.7'' | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.6 lbs | 3.52 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.5" | 9.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4020 | AMD Ryzen 3 7330U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 64 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | Unknown | 47 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 11.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1366 x 768 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 281 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.1/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.2/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 5.3/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
See more
Dig into reviews and images
Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | May 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is decent for use as a workstation. Its Intel CPU and integrated graphics can only handle light productivity tasks, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You also can't do any color-critical work because the available displays have a narrow color gamut. It has a good port selection, but its USB-C lacks Thunderbolt 4 support. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and doesn't get hot or loud under load."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 11.6" or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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