The Gateway 11.6" laptop is much less expensive, making it suitable for basic tasks with its modest Intel Celeron processor, integrated graphics, and smaller storage. Its small screen and light weight contribute to portability, but its performance for intensive tasks is limited. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is much more expensive and offers higher performance with an Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX graphics, ample storage, and larger screen with a higher resolution, which is great for engineering, 3D rendering, and gaming. However, it is heavier and less portable than the Gateway. The Lenovo has a shorter battery life but a better build quality, and it is suitable for both gaming and professional work. 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 Legion Slim 5i
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
7.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
343.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is good for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" has a lower-end processor and less RAM, which might lead to sluggish performance in multitasking and heavier applications compared to the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i, which has a high-end CPU and ample RAM for smooth operation. Additionally, the Lenovo offers a higher-resolution, higher-quality display, and a larger screen, which enhances the user experience for a variety of tasks, unlike the Gateway's smaller, lower-resolution screen.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
8.0/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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 Slim 5i is very good 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
8.4/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" has a significantly weaker CPU, lesser RAM, and inferior GPU, making it unsuitable for the demanding tasks of engineering and design; in contrast, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i comes with a robust CPU, more RAM, and a more powerful GPU, alongside a high-quality screen that enhances its capability for such complex workloads. While the Gateway offers greater portability and may be quieter due to its less powerful components, the Lenovo's superior hardware makes it ideal for intense computational demands despite being less portable and potentially louder when under heavy use.
Content Creation
5.7/10
8.0/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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
5.7/10
7.8/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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
8.0/10
11.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
343.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5i's higher resolution and brighter display offer clearer and more vibrant visuals compared to the Gateway 11.6", whose lower resolution and dimmer screen may not be as pleasing for everyday tasks. For engineering and design, the Lenovo has a better color range coverage essential for detailed and color-critical work, while the Gateway falls short in accurately representing colors. When it comes to gaming and 3D, the Gateway's screen refresh rate is too low for smooth motion, whereas the Lenovo, despite having good resolution and panel quality, also lacks the high refresh rate required for optimal gaming experiences.
Battery
8.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Gateway 11.6" has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has 7 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
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Gateway 11.6" has excellent portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has 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
$1,055
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Gateway 11.6" has a price of $89 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i costs $1,055.
"The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 11.6" or the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i
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.
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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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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