The Gateway 14.1" is much less expensive and offers basic features suitable for general use and light tasks, but it's not designed for demanding work like 3D rendering or intensive engineering applications due to its Intel Celeron processor and UHD Graphics 600. If you need a laptop mostly for browsing, office applications, and media consumption, and budget is a major concern, this could be a good fit.
On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15", while typically costing more, comes with a significantly more powerful AMD Ryzen processor and Vega 8 graphics, which makes it a better choice for more intensive tasks including 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering software. It also has a larger screen, higher storage capacity, and more RAM, which can greatly improve multitasking and performance in demanding applications. Additionally, it has a backlit keyboard and a fingerprint reader for convenience and security.
If portability is a priority, the Gateway is slightly lighter and thinner, but the difference is minimal. In terms of battery life, both laptops are not specified, so you may need to look into that separately or consider your usage patterns to decide if battery life will be an issue. Overall, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" offers better performance and features for those who need more than just the basics, while the Gateway 14.1" is more budget-friendly for users with modest computing needs. 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
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
Good for general use
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
7.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
208.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is good for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Gateway 14.1" has a less powerful CPU, less RAM, and lower screen brightness, affecting its performance and display quality for general use, while its keyboard and speaker quality are rated poorly. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" comes with a stronger CPU, more RAM, a brighter screen, and better-rated keyboard and speakers, resulting in a more responsive and comfortable experience for everyday tasks.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
6.1/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Gateway 14.1" with its Intel Celeron processor and Intel UHD Graphics is less suitable for gaming and 3D tasks as the CPU and GPU are not as powerful, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" with its AMD Ryzen 7 and Vega 8 graphics offers relatively better performance for such purposes, though both laptops are limited by their 60Hz screen refresh rates.
Engineering and Design
5.5/10
6.6/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
4.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair for engineering and design, while the Gateway 14.1" 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
5.8/10
7.4/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is 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
7.3/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
4.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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
6.4/10
14.1in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
208.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a better screen than the Gateway 14.1" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both Gateway and Lenovo IdeaPad laptops have fair screens, with sufficient resolution and brightness for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing, but they may lack the vibrancy and sharpness desired for high-definition content. In engineering and design, users may find the color representation on both models adequate, but falling short of the ideal wide color gamuts that professionals look for to ensure color accuracy in their work. When it comes to gaming and 3D applications, the lack of high refresh rates on both laptops may lead to less smooth visuals, which can hinder the gaming experience, while the moderate resolution and panel types may not fully meet the demands for detailed and immersive graphics.
Battery
8.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Gateway 14.1" has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has 10 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.
Build Quality
5.1/10
6.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has only fair 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
$741
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Gateway 14.1" has a price of $99 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" costs $741.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gateway 14.1" to have very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gateway 14.1" and the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is affordable and pretty efficient. At the end of the day, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 (15″, 2023) is one of the better affordable laptops money can buy right now. It has a decent performance, albeit coming from a CPU that is based on old architecture. Playing low-intensity games is possible but at low to medium settings. We are really happy with the cooling setup, but the main event here is the battery life. We got 9 hours of either Web browsing or video playback, which is a great result. Especially if you compare this device with the ASUS E410."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 14.1" or the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
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.
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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