The Gateway 11.6" is a budget-friendly laptop with basic performance suitable for general use like browsing the web and using office applications, with higher portability due to its small size and lower weight. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE66 is a high-performance laptop designed for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering tasks with a powerful processor and graphics unit; it offers a better screen and build quality but is less portable and more expensive. If portability and price are your priorities, go with the Gateway; if you need top performance for demanding tasks and a quality display, choose the MSI Raider. 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 MSI Raider GE66
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
8.3/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" laptop, with its Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 1366 x 768 resolution screen, doesn't match the MSI Raider GE66's powerful i7 processor, 32GB of RAM, and high-resolution 2560 x 1440 screen, leading to a less responsive and less visually satisfying experience for general use. While the Gateway excels in portability and has good battery life, it falls short in performance and screen quality compared to the MSI, which offers superior capability for multi-tasking and media consumption but is heavier and has a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
8.5/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Raider GE66 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
8.9/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
5.7/10
8.3/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE66 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
8.0/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE66 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
5.7/10
8.4/10
11.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE66 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 dimmer display, making it less suitable for any use where screen clarity and visibility are crucial, such as general use, engineering, design, and gaming. The MSI Raider GE66, with a high-quality display, would offer sharp and vibrant visuals for general use and professional design tasks due to better color accuracy and higher resolution, but its lower refresh rate may not be ideal for gaming and 3D applications where smoother motion is key. These considerations are important for tasks requiring precision and visual fidelity, contrasting with the need for fluid motion in interactive 3D environments.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Gateway 11.6" has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE66 has 6 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
15.6in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Gateway 11.6" has excellent portability, while the MSI Raider GE66 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
8.5/10
The MSI Raider GE66 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
$2,499
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Gateway 11.6" has a price of $89 and the MSI Raider GE66 costs $2,499.
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 11.6" or the MSI Raider GE66
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 MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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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