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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 offers a larger screen, more storage, and double the RAM than the Gateway 14.1", which can positively impact performance and multitasking. It has a touchscreen, which the Gateway lacks, and it generally boasts better build quality, battery life, and heat management. Additionally, the IdeaPad Slim 3 is equipped with a newer processor and better-integrated graphics, enhancing its capability for general use and even light engineering tasks. However, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is usually more expensive than the Gateway. For those on a tight budget or who prioritize a more portable and lighter device, the Gateway may be more appropriate, but for better performance and features, the IdeaPad Slim 3 is the superior option, as long as the additional cost is within your 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
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
- Good for general use
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
5.6
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
208.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is good for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Gateway 14.1" has lower RAM, a weaker Intel Celeron processor, and a display with lower brightness and color coverage compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, which offers more RAM, a stronger AMD Ryzen processor, better screen brightness and color coverage, contributing to its fair suitability for general use over the Gateway's poor performance.
Engineering and Design
5.5
6.1
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is only fair for engineering and design, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Gateway 14.1" has lower performance components including a weaker CPU, less RAM, and a less capable GPU, which makes it poor for engineering and design where these factors are very important; in contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has a better CPU, more RAM, and a stronger GPU, making it more suitable for these tasks, although both have moderate screen quality, and portability features like keyboard and speaker quality are somewhat secondary considerations.
Content Creation
5.8
7.2
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
7.1
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
6.4
14.1in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
208.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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 the Gateway and Lenovo IdeaPad have adequate resolution and brightness, and a panel type that is sufficient for everyday tasks like browsing the web and watching videos, but they might lack the high-end display features that enhance viewing experience. As for engineering and design, their screens offer fair color accuracy and range, but they do not reach the professional standards needed for precise color work in fields like graphic design and video editing, since they don't fully cover professional color gamuts. While suitable for light 3D tasks, the lower refresh rates of these laptops' screens can hamper smoothness and responsiveness which are crucial for high-end gaming and advanced 3D applications.
Battery
8.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Gateway 14.1" has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
6.5
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
$390
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
The Gateway 14.1" has a price of $99 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 costs $390.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
5.4
5.9
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 Slim 3 and Gateway 14.1" are both poor for gaming and AI.
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.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.1in
SIZE
15.6in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gateway 14.1" to have very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Gateway 14.1" and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gateway 14.1" | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$99 | $390 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2021 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.75'' | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.35 lbs | 3.52 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.1" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.78" | 9.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4020 | AMD Ryzen 3 7330U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 64 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | Unknown | 47 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.1" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 208 nits | 281 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.1/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.1/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 5.3/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Gateway 14.1"
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NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | September 2021
"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."
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
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Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | May 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is decent for use as a workstation. Its Intel CPU and integrated graphics can only handle light productivity tasks, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You also can't do any color-critical work because the available displays have a narrow color gamut. It has a good port selection, but its USB-C lacks Thunderbolt 4 support. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and doesn't get hot or loud under load."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 14.1" or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 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 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.
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