The Gateway 14.1" is much less expensive, lighter, and has a longer battery life, making it a good fit for general use and portability. However, with a less powerful processor and lower graphics capability, it's not suitable for intensive gaming or demanding software like 3D rendering or engineering applications. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE78 is significantly more expensive, heavier, and has shorter battery life but boasts a far superior processor and top-end graphics suitable for intensive gaming, 3D/machine learning, and engineering tasks, offering high performance and advanced features like ray tracing. If portability and cost are your primary concerns, choose the Gateway; for peak performance in demanding scenarios, go with the MSI Raider GE78. 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 MSI Raider GE78
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Best in class for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
208.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Gateway 14.1" has a lower-end Intel Celeron processor, less RAM, and an inferior screen compared to the MSI Raider GE78 which boasts a high-end Intel i9 processor, substantial RAM, and an advanced display, providing much better performance and visually enriching experience for general use. Even though the Gateway offers better portability due to its lighter weight and smaller size, it falls short in battery life, whereas the MSI has a significantly reduced battery life but offers vastly superior keyboard and speaker quality, alongside excellent heat management and lesser operating noise, enhancing the overall user experience.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
9.5/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class 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
9.4/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent 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 lower-tier CPU, limited RAM, and basic integrated GPU, which together fail to meet the demands of resource-intensive applications, whereas the MSI Raider GE78 excels with its top-of-the-line CPU, ample RAM, and powerful dedicated GPU, capable of handling complex tasks and rendering at high speeds. Furthermore, while the Gateway's display quality is modest, the MSI's high-resolution, color-accurate screen better serves the visual precision required in these fields, but these superior features make it heavier and less portable.
Content Creation
5.8/10
8.8/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 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
8.5/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 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
8.6/10
14.1in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
208.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the Gateway 14.1" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you prioritize affordability and mainly use your laptop for tasks like browsing and office applications, the Gateway 14.1” would suffice with its adequate display. However, if your work involves engineering or design, the MSI Raider GE78 offers a superior visual experience with better color accuracy and range, essential for precision work. For gaming and 3D purposes, neither of these may be ideal due to their limited refresh rates, which could hinder the smoothness and responsiveness of high-speed graphics.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Gateway 14.1" has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 has 6 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
Poor
14.1in
SIZE
17.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Gateway 14.1" has very good portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
8.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 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
$4,386
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Gateway 14.1" has a price of $99 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
"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."
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 14.1" or the MSI Raider GE78
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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