The Gateway 14.1" is a budget-friendly option with basic specifications, well-suited for routine tasks like browsing and document editing, while also being lightweight and more portable. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 9i offers high-end performance for intensive tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, and includes features for engineering use. However, it is pricier and heavier, which might affect its portability. The Lenovo's display is superior with higher resolution and color accuracy, but its battery life is shorter compared to the Gateway, affecting its usability on-the-go. Choose the Gateway for cost-effectiveness and mobility or the Lenovo for advanced capabilities and a superior display. 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 Lenovo Legion 9i
Very good for general use
Best in class for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Best in class overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
208.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Lenovo Legion 9i offers a robust performance for general use due to a powerful CPU, ample RAM, a high-quality screen, and superior battery life, making it very suitable for a range of tasks, albeit it is less portable and heavier. In contrast, the Gateway 14.1" has weaker processor and graphics capabilities, minimal RAM, and a display that doesn't match Lenovo's quality, making it less appropriate for demanding tasks even though it excels in portability due to its lighter weight and compact size.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
9.2/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 14.1" 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
5.5/10
9.6/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Gateway 14.1" laptop, with its Intel Celeron processor, basic integrated graphics, and 4 GB of RAM, falls short for engineering and design tasks which demand robust processing and graphical capabilities. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 9i excels in these areas with its high-end Intel i9 processor, Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics, and 32 GB of RAM, while also offering a higher-resolution Mini LED screen, but it is heavier and less portable.
Content Creation
5.8/10
8.7/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
8.3/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very 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
9.7/10
14.1in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
208.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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 laptop, with its fair screen quality, is suitable for tasks where the display precision is not critical, but it's not ideal for gaming or 3D applications where high refresh rates are vital for a smooth visual experience. The Lenovo Legion 9i, with its superior display, excels in providing crisp and vibrant visuals beneficial for both general use and professional engineering and design work due to better color accuracy and range. However, its lower refresh rate compared to dedicated gaming laptops means it falls short for gaming and 3D content, where fluid motion is key.
Battery
8.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Gateway 14.1" has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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
16.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Gateway 14.1" has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 9i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
$3,420
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Gateway 14.1" has a price of $99 and the Lenovo Legion 9i costs $3,420.
"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 Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 14.1" or the Lenovo Legion 9i
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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