If portability is a top concern and you often travel with your laptop, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is lighter and offers a higher-quality display than the Gateway 14.1". However, if you're on a budget, the Gateway 14.1" is much less expensive while still providing a decent display for general use. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s, with more RAM and a powerful processor, is well-suited for intensive tasks like engineering, 3D rendering, and machine learning, whereas the Gateway, with less RAM and a basic processor, is more tailored for everyday tasks such as browsing and document editing. The Lenovo also has better build quality, a higher portability score, and a backlit keyboard, making it a more premium option at a higher cost. 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"
The Gateway 14.1" has no clear advantages over the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s.
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Very good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
208.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is good for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Gateway 14.1" has limited memory and a basic CPU, leading to poorer performance, and it also falls short with its screen quality and keyboard, detracting from the user experience. Conversely, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s excels in general use with a powerful CPU, ample memory, and a high-quality screen, alongside a more portable design and longer battery life, offering a more versatile and pleasant user experience.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
6.4/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.3/10
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Gateway 14.1" has lower graphical performance due to its Intel UHD Graphics 600 which is less capable for gaming and 3D applications than the Intel Iris Xe graphics found in the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s. Additionally, the ThinkBook benefits from a more powerful Intel i7 CPU and a higher screen quality, which further explains its suitability for gaming and 3D compared to the Gateway.
Engineering and Design
5.5/10
7.5/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Gateway 14.1" laptop has a basic Intel Celeron N4020 processor, only 4GB of RAM, and uses entry-level Intel UHD Graphics 600, making it less suitable for demanding engineering tasks and design software that require powerful processing and graphical capabilities.
Content Creation
5.8/10
7.8/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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
7.7/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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
7.2/10
14.1in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
208.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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" screen likely has adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and satisfactory color accuracy for basic engineering tasks, but it falls short for gaming and 3D, where it lacks high refresh rates desired for smooth visuals. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s offers a higher-quality display with better brightness and sharper resolution, making it a strong fit for both general computing and more color-sensitive work like engineering and design, but it too isn't tailored for gaming due to a likely standard refresh rate. Therefore, for non-gaming purposes, the Lenovo seems to offer a superior visual experience, but gamers might want to look elsewhere for a device with a faster screen.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
14.1in
SIZE
13.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has excellent portability, while the Gateway 14.1" has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
7.6/10
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has 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
$1,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Gateway 14.1" has a price of $99 and the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s costs $1,000.
"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 best thing about the ThinkBook 13S is that it’s a good deal. Business buyers looking for ThinkPad-level performance and software without ThinkPad pricing will probably find the ThinkBook a solid option. While nothing about it is really spectacular, it’s certainly unusual to see the ThinkBook’s screen resolution at a sub-$1,000 price, and its performance will be more than adequate for most office tasks. The generous port selection, 16:10 aspect ratio, physical webcam shutter, and clear audio are certainly icing on the cake."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 14.1" or the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
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.
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.