If you prioritize a lightweight laptop with a higher quality screen and better performance for daily tasks, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is an excellent choice but it's more expensive than the Gateway 11.6". The Gateway 11.6", on the other hand, is more budget-friendly and also offers solid build quality and portability but with lower performance and a less impressive screen. Neither is appropriate for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering tasks. The Surface has a touchscreen and a better battery life, while the Gateway is lighter on the wallet and still performs adequately for general use. 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"
The Gateway 11.6" has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2.
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Good for general use
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
7.0/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" falls short for general use due to its basic Intel Celeron processor, limited 4GB of RAM, and a low-resolution display, all of which can hinder performance and visual clarity for everyday tasks. Conversely, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, with its more powerful Intel i5 processor, double the RAM at 8GB, a higher-resolution touchscreen, and a sturdier build quality, provides a smoother and more enjoyable user experience for general computing activities.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
6.0/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" laptop is considered poor for gaming and 3D because it is equipped with an Intel Celeron processor and an Intel UHD Graphics 600 GPU, which are not powerful enough to handle intensive gaming or 3D tasks. Conversely, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is evaluated as fair for gaming and 3D as it comes with a more capable Intel i5 processor and Iris Xe graphics, offering better performance for such tasks, though still not ideal for high-end gaming due to limitations in refresh rate and GPU compared to dedicated gaming laptops.
Engineering and Design
5.4/10
6.5/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" has a weaker CPU and GPU, less RAM, and a lower quality screen, making it unsuitable for demanding engineering and design tasks. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a more powerful CPU, better integrated graphics, double the RAM, and a higher resolution screen with better color coverage, thus offering fair performance for engineering and design applications.
Content Creation
5.7/10
7.1/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
7.0/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
6.9/10
11.6in
SIZE
12.4in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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" laptop likely has a lower resolution and less bright display, which affects the clarity and visibility of content, making it less suitable for any tasks that require good visual representation. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 probably offers a higher resolution and better brightness levels, thus improving the experience for general use and engineering, where detail and color accuracy are key. However, both laptops may have lower refresh rates, which is why they fall short for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion and quick screen updates are critical.
Build Quality
5.1/10
7.8/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
$565
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
The Gateway 11.6" has a price of $89 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $565.
"The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 review is a compact companion with old hardware. The Surface Laptop Go 2 shows some weaknesses. Microsoft didn't really develop the second generation of the Surface Laptop Go 2 any further but has only equipped it with a slightly more powerful Core i5 processor. However, the performance still remains at a fairly low level overall, but for many users, it definitely should still be sufficient for everyday tasks."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 11.6" or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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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