A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If your priority is a budget-friendly option, the Gateway 15.6" laptop provides essential functions for general use and comes at a lower price. For those looking for higher performance in areas like 3D rendering, machine learning, and intensive gaming, the Gigabyte Aero 17 would be a better fit due to its superior processor and graphics card. However, the Aero 17 is less portable due to its larger size and shorter battery life. When it comes to screen quality, the Aero 17 offers better resolution and color accuracy, making it ideal for tasks that demand high-quality visuals, such as video editing or professional graphic design. 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 Aero 17
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0
8.1
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.6/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for general use, while the Gateway 15.6" is good.
The Gateway 15.6" offers a balance between performance and portability for everyday tasks with its decent CPU, reasonable amount of RAM, and average battery life, making it suitable for general use. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aero 17 has a high-end CPU and RAM, an excellent screen quality for vivid visuals, but it is less portable and has a shorter battery life, though it still manages to be suitable for general use alongside more demanding applications such as video editing or gaming.
Gaming and AI
6.0
7.9
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Gateway 15.6" offers fair performance in gaming and 3D because it has an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU and a standard screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which are suitable for casual gaming but not for high-end, intensive gaming experiences. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for gaming and 3D as it features a much more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 120Hz, providing smoother gameplay and better support for graphically demanding tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.2
8.8
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Gateway 15.6" has a mid-range CPU and integrated graphics, which makes it fair for engineering and design, but its screen quality—though standard with IPS technology—is relatively less vivid compared to higher-end panels. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aero 17 boasts a powerful CPU and a high-end discrete GPU, combined with a superior mini LED display offering high resolution and color accuracy, thus making it very good for demanding engineering and design tasks.
Content Creation
7.0
8.4
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for content creation, while the Gateway 15.6" is good.
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
7.9
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is 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.
Screen Quality
6.1
9.2
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has a better screen than the Gateway 15.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If your primary focus is general computing tasks, the Gateway's fair screen might suffice, but the Gigabyte Aero 17, with its higher resolution and brightness, offers a much clearer and vivid viewing experience. For engineering and design work, where accurate color representation is crucial, the Aero 17 stands out with its wide color gamuts, which ensure the colors you work with are precise and true to life. However, for gaming and 3D applications where the smoothness of motion is key, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, though the Aero's superior resolution and panel type still provide an edge in visual detail.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Gateway 15.6" has 8 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 17 has 5.5 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
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Gateway 15.6" has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1
8.0
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has very 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
$2,071
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Gateway 15.6" has a price of $380 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 costs $2,071.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gateway 15.6" and the Gigabyte Aero 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gateway 15.6" | Gigabyte Aero 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$380 | $2,071 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2021 | March 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.8'' x 9.5'' x 0.77'' | 15.6'' x 9.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.8 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.75" | 15.6" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.5" | 9.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1135G7 | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | Unknown | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 368 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.1/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 6.7/10 | |
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 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Gateway 15.6"
See more
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 Aero 17
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mike Wobker | May 2021
"Not only is the Aero 17 a very good laptop for gamers but also for content creators. With the upgrade to the Intel Core i9-11980HK, Gigabyte particularly improved the system performance. In addition, the hardware package is rounded by the extremely fast SSD and 32 GB of working memory in dual-channel mode. Compared to the predecessor, the battery life is reduced only moderately, and the 4K display also basically keeps its good qualities."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 15.6" or the Gigabyte Aero 17
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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
Compare Gateway 15.6" vs. HP 15" Laptop
VS
Compare Gateway 15.6" vs. Dell Inspiron 15 3525
VS
Compare Gateway 15.6" vs. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
VS
Compare Gigabyte Aero 17 vs. ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2024)
VS
Compare Gigabyte Aero 17 vs. ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
VS
Compare Gigabyte Aero 17 vs. Framework Laptop 13 (2023)
VS
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
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.
Featured in
