The Gateway 11.6" is budget-friendly and offers basic functionality, suitable for simple general use like internet browsing and document editing. However, with a smaller screen size and lower resolution, it's less ideal for tasks that need more screen real estate or clearer visuals. The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14, on the other hand, costs more but comes with a more powerful processor, better graphics, and a larger, higher-resolution screen, making it a strong choice for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and light gaming. It also features a backlit keyboard, a build more suited to business environments, and longer battery life, balancing higher performance with portability. Choose the Gateway for cost savings and light use, or the Lenovo for a more premium and versatile computing experience. 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 Slim Pro 7 14
Very good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good battery life
Very good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
8.0/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
334.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.4/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is very good for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" laptop has limited performance due to its basic Intel Celeron processor and only 4GB of RAM, which makes multitasking and demanding applications a challenge; its screen resolution is lower, affecting the display clarity. In contrast, the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14" offers a much more powerful AMD Ryzen processor and 16GB of RAM for smoother operation, alongside a higher resolution screen which delivers sharper images and better overall visual quality, justifying its higher portability and battery life scores.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
6.7/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.8/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 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
7.7/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.8/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" has a basic Intel Celeron processor, low RAM, and a basic integrated GPU, which limits its ability to handle demanding engineering and design applications, while its lower resolution screen also detracts from detailed visual work.
Content Creation
5.7/10
8.0/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 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
7.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 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
7.4/10
11.6in
SIZE
14.5in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
334.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 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" may have a smaller, lower-resolution display that isn't as bright, making it less vibrant for daily tasks and inadequate for the fine details required in engineering and design work. The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 offers a higher resolution and brighter screen, enriching general use and providing the clarity needed for precision in engineering and design, but its traditional refresh rate limits the smoothness needed for optimal gaming and 3D experiences. Neither laptop has a high enough refresh rate or the panel quality to fully satisfy gaming or 3D demands where fluid motion and crisp visuals are key.
Battery
8.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Gateway 11.6" has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has 12 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
Very Good
11.6in
SIZE
14.5in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Gateway 11.6" has excellent portability, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
7.8/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 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
$1,200
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Gateway 11.6" has a price of $89 and the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 costs $1,200.
"The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 is an attractive, portable laptop that’s ideal if you need a combination of CPU and GPU performance. It also nails the fundamentals with solid connectivity, an enjoyable keyboard, a large touchpad, and top-notch webcam. Display quality is a weakness, but it’s an acceptable compromise for the laptop’s extremely competitive $1,199 MSRP. The Slim Pro 7 is a versatile, affordable laptop and hard to beat for the price."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 11.6" or the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
98,295
Recommendations made
21,298
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.