The Gateway 14.1" is a budget-friendly option with basic features suitable for general use, light tasks, and good portability, but it has limited storage, memory, and a modest processor which might slow you down during heavy multitasking or complex applications. On the other hand, the MSI GF65 Thin is more expensive but offers significantly better performance with advanced graphics, more storage, and memory, making it ideal for gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering software, though it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, which affects its portability. Consider the Gateway if you prioritize cost savings and portability for everyday tasks, or choose the MSI for demanding applications, accepting the trade-off of higher cost and lower battery life. 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 MSI GF65 Thin
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
6.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
208.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The MSI GF65 Thin is only fair for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Gateway 14.1" laptop's lower RAM and less powerful Intel Celeron processor contribute to its poor performance for general use, while its smaller storage capacity limits the amount of data and applications that can be stored. In contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin offers better general usability with higher RAM and a more robust Intel i5 processor, enhanced by its gaming-capable Nvidia RTX graphics; however, its beefier specs come at a cost to battery life and it is slightly less portable due to being heavier.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
6.8/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GF65 Thin is only fair 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
6.7/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI GF65 Thin is only fair for engineering and design, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Gateway 14.1" laptop has lower-tier CPU and GPU and only 4GB of RAM, making it less suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks, whereas the MSI GF65 Thin boasts a robust Intel i5 processor, Nvidia RTX GPU, and 8GB of RAM, which are much better suited for such intensive work. Additionally, the MSI model has a higher quality display that is beneficial for design work, although it is heavier and less portable compared to the Gateway which is lighter but has a less impressive screen and poorer performance overall.
Content Creation
5.8/10
6.8/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GF65 Thin is only fair 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.
Screen Quality
6.0/10
6.8/10
14.1in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
208.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The MSI GF65 Thin 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 14.1" and MSI GF65 Thin have panel types and resolutions that suffice for everyday tasks and document handling, making them adequate for general use, but their limited brightness may not provide optimal visibility in bright environments. For engineering and design, both models offer fair screen quality, but their color gamut coverage may not fully satisfy professionals who require precise color accuracy for tasks like photo editing or graphic design. The lower refresh rates on both laptops are not ideal for 3D applications and gaming, where smoother motion and quick screen updates significantly enhance the experience.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Gateway 14.1" has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 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
Good
14.1in
SIZE
15.6in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Gateway 14.1" has very good portability, while the MSI GF65 Thin has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
6.7/10
The MSI GF65 Thin 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
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Gateway 14.1" has a price of $99 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI GF65 Thin to be only fair 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gateway 14.1" and the MSI GF65 Thin 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 MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 14.1" or the MSI GF65 Thin
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 MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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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