The Gateway 11.6" is budget-friendly and much less expensive than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, and with its smaller storage and less powerful processor and graphics, it's best suited for basic use like web browsing and document editing. It's lightweight and portable, making it easy to carry around. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, while typically more expensive, offers better performance with more storage and a higher-quality processor and graphics. It's more suitable for more demanding tasks like photo editing and multitasking. It also has a higher-resolution touchscreen display, but it is slightly heavier, which could affect portability. 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 3.
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
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
7.2/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
337.0 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 3 is good for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" has a less capable CPU and half the RAM of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, which negatively impacts its performance for general use. Additionally, the Surface Laptop Go 3 offers better screen quality with higher resolution and brightness, coupled with a more portable design and better battery life, making it a fair choice for general tasks compared to the Gateway 11.6".
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
6.1/10
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 3 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
6.8/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" has a modest Intel Celeron processor and basic Intel UHD Graphics which limits performance for engineering and design tasks, whereas the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, with an Intel i5 processor and better Iris Xe Graphics, provides improved performance suitable for such tasks. Additionally, the Gateway's screen quality is lower with a 1366 x 768 resolution versus the Surface's higher 1536 x 1024 resolution, contributing to the Surface's better suitability for engineering and design where screen clarity is crucial.
Content Creation
5.7/10
7.3/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 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
5.7/10
7.1/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
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 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
5.7/10
6.8/10
11.6in
SIZE
12.4in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3's higher resolution and brighter display offer clearer and more vibrant visuals compared to the Gateway's poorer resolution and dimmer screen. In engineering and design, the Surface’s superior color coverage, with wider color gamuts, ensures more accurate color representation which is essential for precision work, while the Gateway falls short in this aspect. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Gateway's lower refresh rate limits the smoothness of motion rendering, which is also a weakness for the Surface, although its better resolution and panel might offer slightly improved visual clarity.
Build Quality
5.1/10
7.8/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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
$789
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Gateway 11.6" has a price of $89 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 costs $789.
"When it comes to affordably priced laptops, the numbers after the dollar sign are crucially important—more so than in any other price category. By increasing the starting price of its Laptop Go line by $200 and not changing much else, Microsoft irrevocably altered the calculus surrounding the decision of whether to buy the Surface Laptop Go 3. Sure, it has a newer processor and longer battery life, but don’t think for a second you’re not paying dearly for that extra RAM and SSD capacity at that new price."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 11.6" or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 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 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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