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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Gateway 11.6" is a budget option with basic performance suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing, offering high portability due to its smaller size and lower weight. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 9i is a premium laptop with powerful performance for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering software, but is heavier and less portable, and also comes at a significantly higher price. The Lenovo features a larger, higher-resolution display and is better for tasks that require strong graphical capabilities and processing power, while the Gateway is more suited to general use and favors cost savings over performance. 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 Lenovo Legion 9i
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6
8.4
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very 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
9.2
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent 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
9.6
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" falls short for engineering and design due to its basic Intel Celeron processor, minimal RAM, and low-end integrated graphics, which struggle with demanding software commonly used in these fields; its low-resolution screen also limits the detail and workspace available for intricate tasks.
Content Creation
5.7
8.7
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very 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
8.3
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very 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
9.7
11.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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 11.6" likely has a lower resolution and brightness, making it less appealing for everyday tasks and detail-oriented work like engineering, while the smaller size might diminish user experience due to reduced screen real estate. The Lenovo Legion 9i's superior resolution and panel quality enhance visual clarity and color accuracy, which is crucial for engineering and design work where precise color representation of DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB is crucial. However, while the Legion 9i excels in screen quality, its possibly lower refresh rate could limit the smooth visuals preferred in 3D applications and gaming.
Battery
8.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Gateway 11.6" has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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
Fair
11.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Gateway 11.6" has excellent portability, while the Lenovo Legion 9i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1
8.5
The Lenovo Legion 9i has very good 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
$3,420
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Gateway 11.6" has a price of $89 and the Lenovo Legion 9i costs $3,420.
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How the Gateway 11.6" and the Lenovo Legion 9i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gateway 11.6" | Lenovo Legion 9i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$89 | $3,420 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2021 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11'' x 7.5'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10.9'' x 1.01'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.6 lbs | 5.64 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11" | 14.08" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.5" | 10.93" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4020 | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 64 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | Unknown | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 11.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1366 x 768 | 3200 x 2000 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 682 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.1/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.2/10 | 6.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 5.3/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 9.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion 9i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | December 2023
"The Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 11.6" or the Lenovo Legion 9i
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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