The decision between the Gateway 14.1" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio depends on your preferences and needs. If you're looking for a budget-friendly option for general use like browsing and office applications, the Gateway might be suitable due to its lower price. However, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio would be a better choice if you need a laptop with higher performance for tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, thanks to its more powerful processor and graphics card; expect a higher price tag and a slight decrease in portability due to increased weight. The Surface Laptop Studio also offers a better display with a higher resolution, and touch capability, suitable for artists or designers. Keep in mind that for heavy workloads, the Surface Laptop Studio will likely manage heat and run quieter, contributing to a more pleasant user experience. 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
208.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Gateway 14.1" laptop, with a basic Intel Celeron processor, less RAM, and an average screen can handle daily tasks but may struggle with multitasking and demanding applications, making it less favorable for general use. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio boasts a powerful Intel i7 processor, ample RAM, a high-resolution touchscreen with a flexible hinge, and superior graphics capabilities, offering a much smoother and versatile experience for general use and creative efforts.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
6.6/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Gateway 14.1" has a weaker Intel Celeron processor and an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 600, which limit its gaming and 3D capabilities, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is equipped with a more powerful Intel i7 processor and a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU, providing better performance for such tasks.
Engineering and Design
5.5/10
7.3/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Gateway 14.1" is less suited for engineering and design due to its basic Intel Celeron processor, minimal RAM, and integrated graphics which limit complex task handling and multitasking capabilities; additionally, it has a lower quality display compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, which boasts a high-performance Intel i7 processor, ample RAM, a dedicated Nvidia graphics card, and a higher resolution touchscreen with flexible hinge, enhancing visual detail and overall functionality for design-oriented tasks. While the Gateway offers greater portability and less operating noise due to simpler hardware, the Surface Laptop Studio's superior CPU, GPU, and screen quality make it a better fit for engineering and design work despite being slightly heavier and having more potential for operating noise.
Content Creation
5.8/10
7.4/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
5.5/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
8.0/10
14.1in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
208.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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 average screen doesn't shine in any particular area but offers enough clarity and brightness for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing; however, its limited color range and lower resolution might not suit detailed engineering work. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, with its higher resolution and broader color spectrum, excels for precision tasks like engineering and graphic design where visual fidelity and color accuracy are crucial. Neither laptop, however, gives the fast refresh rates required for fluid 3D rendering or gaming, which can hinder the experience in these visually demanding applications.
Build Quality
5.1/10
8.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
$1,700
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Gateway 14.1" has a price of $99 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
The Gateway 14.1" has 8 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 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
Good
14.1in
SIZE
14.4in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gateway 14.1" to have very good portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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."
"There’s no doubt that the Surface Laptop Studio is groundbreaking. We’ve come to expect such things from the Surface lineup, so it’s always nice to see a product that exceeds our expectations. The pull-forward laptop-screen concept has been tried before, but never in a device that’s so stylish and packed with innovative features like a haptic touchpad and robust digital stylus support."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 14.1" or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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.