The Gateway 14.1" is much less expensive and offers basic performance suitable for general use with a lighter weight for better portability. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aero 17 is much more expensive but provides superior performance for demanding tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering; however, it is heavier and less portable. If you prioritize performance and advanced features for professional and creative work, and budget is less of a concern, opt for the Gigabyte Aero 17. Choose the Gateway 14.1" for everyday tasks, easy carrying, and a tighter budget. 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 14.1"
Very good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aero 17
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
8.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
208.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.6/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Gateway 14.1" has a less capable CPU and less RAM compared to the more powerful i7 processor and higher RAM in the Gigabyte Aero 17, making the latter better for demanding tasks. Additionally, while both have good screen quality, the Aero 17's Mini LED display with higher resolution provides a significantly better viewing experience than the standard IPS display of the Gateway 14.1", further enhancing its suitability for general use.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
7.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Gateway 14.1" has an Intel UHD Graphics 600 GPU with a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz, making it unsuitable for gaming and 3D applications, which require more powerful graphics and smoother visuals. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aero 17 boasts a high-end Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a 120 Hz refresh rate, enabling it to deliver excellent performance and fluid motion for gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
5.5/10
8.8/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Gateway 14.1" falls short for engineering and design due to its less powerful Intel Celeron CPU, lower-end integrated graphics, and only 4GB of RAM, essential components that are subpar for such demanding tasks, alongside a basic screen quality. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aero 17 is very well-suited for these uses, boasting a high-end Intel i7 CPU, a powerful Nvidia RTX GPU, ample 16GB of RAM, and a superior Mini LED display that collectively enhance performance and visual clarity for intensive engineering applications.
Content Creation
5.8/10
8.4/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for content creation, while the Gateway 14.1" 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
5.8/10
7.9/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is good for software development, while the Gateway 14.1" 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
6.0/10
9.2/10
14.1in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
208.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has a better screen than the Gateway 14.1" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Gateway's fair screen quality for general and engineering use stems from its adequate resolution and brightness, but it may not provide the color accuracy needed for professional design tasks due to limited color gamut coverage. The Gigabyte Aero 17 offers a superior display with high resolution, exceptional brightness, and broad color gamut, catering well to both general use and color-critical tasks in engineering and design. However, for gaming and 3D, despite its good resolution and panel type, the Aero's poorer refresh rate might not deliver the smooth visuals that fast-paced or graphics-intensive applications require.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Gateway 14.1" has 8 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 17 has 5.5 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
Very Good
Fair
14.1in
SIZE
17.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Gateway 14.1" has very good portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has very good build quality, while the Gateway 14.1" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$99
$2,071
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Gateway 14.1" has a price of $99 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 costs $2,071.
"The Gateway Ultra Slim 14" is surprisingly quiet with long battery life. The inexpensive Gateway excels at maximizing performance per dollar with lots of RAM and storage, super-quiet fan, and a long battery life. It can even house up to two M.2 SSDs which we weren't expecting from such a cheap system. However, the iffy reliability of the keyboard and USB-C port on our test unit means users should double-check for these potential issues immediately after purchasing."
"Not only is the Aero 17 a very good laptop for gamers but also for content creators. With the upgrade to the Intel Core i9-11980HK, Gigabyte particularly improved the system performance. In addition, the hardware package is rounded by the extremely fast SSD and 32 GB of working memory in dual-channel mode. Compared to the predecessor, the battery life is reduced only moderately, and the 4K display also basically keeps its good qualities."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 14.1" or the Gigabyte Aero 17
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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
98,595
Recommendations made
21,363
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.