A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
Based on your needs, consider the following tradeoffs: If portability and longer battery life are crucial, you might prefer the Gateway 15.6" laptop as it's lighter and offers more hours of typical usage. However, if performance is a higher priority, especially for 3D rendering, machine learning, gaming, or engineering tasks, the Gigabyte A7 with its more powerful AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX graphics card would be superior. The Gigabyte A7 also has better heat management and higher screen refresh rates which can enhance your gaming experience, but keep in mind it is generally more expensive and heavier, making it less portable. 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 15.6"
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Gigabyte A7
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.0
7.3
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
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 Gigabyte A7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Gateway 15.6" has an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU and a screen refresh rate of 60Hz, limiting its gaming and 3D capabilities, while the Gigabyte A7 boasts a more powerful dedicated Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz, enhancing gaming and 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
6.2
7.6
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte A7 is good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Gateway 15.6" comes with a mid-range CPU and integrated GPU, which limits performance for engineering and design applications, whereas the Gigabyte A7 boasts a high-end CPU and a dedicated graphics card, catering for more demanding tasks. Additionally, the Gigabyte A7 offers a larger, brighter, and more color-accurate screen, which benefits design work, but it's heavier and less portable compared to the lighter Gateway 15.6".
Screen Quality
6.1
7.3
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
318.0 nits
The Gigabyte A7 has a better screen than the Gateway 15.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Gateway's screen provides adequate clarity and brightness, but may lack the vibrancy and sharpness of the Gigabyte A7, which boasts better resolution and a higher-quality panel type, enhancing visibility and user experience. In engineering and design, the Gigabyte A7 stands out with its good color accuracy and wider color gamuts, making it better suited for professional applications where color rendition is crucial. However, both the Gateway and the Gigabyte A7 fall short for gaming and 3D applications due to their lower refresh rates, which can hinder the smooth visual experience desired in fast-paced or graphically intensive scenarios.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Gateway 15.6" has 8 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte A7 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
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Gateway 15.6" has good portability, while the Gigabyte A7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1
7.2
The Gigabyte A7 has good build quality, while the Gateway 15.6" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$380
$940
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Gateway 15.6" has a price of $380 and the Gigabyte A7 costs $940.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.0
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
318.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Gigabyte A7 and Gateway 15.6" are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.0
7.3
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte A7 and Gateway 15.6" are both good for content creation.
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
6.7
7.0
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte A7 to be good for software development, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
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.
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How the Gateway 15.6" and the Gigabyte A7 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gateway 15.6" | Gigabyte A7 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$380 | $940 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2021 | February 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.8'' x 9.5'' x 0.77'' | 15.6'' x 10.3'' x 1.19'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.8 lbs | 5.58 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.75" | 15.59" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.5" | 10.31" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1135G7 | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | Unknown | 49 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 318 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.1/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 5.3/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Gateway 15.6"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Francisco Lahoz | July 2022
"Some concessions have to be made when shopping for a budget laptop. Walmart's Gateway Ultra Slim laptops succeeds on the affordability front and delivers serviceable specs and good battery life, though it's hard to claim it's the best (or even particularly good) at any particular aspect. Its build quality, especially the touchpad, is mediocre, and its performance is decent but doesn't lead the way. The Gateway does undercut the cost of some competitors and offers ample storage with good connectivity, so it's not to be ignored."
Gigabyte A7
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mike Wobker | October 2021
"In terms of looks, the Gigabyte A7 X1 is certainly not a trendy, slim, and ultra-mobile gaming laptop. But it does what it's supposed to do, namely bringing games smoothly onto the screen, very well. Both the processor and the GeForce RTX 3070 are able to unleash their performance without restrictions thanks to the well-ventilated case. The Gigabyte A7 X1 brings modern games smoothly onto the screen and offers excellent maintenance options."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 15.6" or the Gigabyte A7
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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