A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Gateway 15.6" is a more budget-friendly option that allows for general use with modest performance. It's lighter and likely easier to carry around but has a lower-resolution screen and less powerful hardware, making it less ideal for demanding applications like 3D rendering, machine learning, or intensive gaming. Conversely, the Gigabyte Aero 5 is pricier but offers higher performance for engineering tasks, 3D work, and gaming due to its advanced processor and graphics card. It also boasts a higher-resolution OLED screen which is great for color-sensitive work, although this might come at the cost of reduced battery life compared to less intense displays. Choose the Gateway for casual, everyday use and the Gigabyte for more power-intensive tasks and better display quality, acknowledging the higher cost and potentially lower portability due to greater weight. 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
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aero 5
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
446.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and Gateway 15.6" are both good for general use, though the Gigabyte Aero 5 is somewhat better.
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.
Gaming and AI
6.0
7.9
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 outperforms the Gateway 15.6" for gaming and 3D because it has a significantly more powerful graphics unit, the Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti, compared to the Gateway's integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics. Additionally, the Gigabyte Aero 5 boasts a high-quality OLED screen with a much higher resolution, contributing to an enhanced visual experience, vital for immersive gaming and detailed 3D work.
Engineering and Design
6.2
8.7
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 outperforms the Gateway 15.6" for engineering and design use primarily due to its superior central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU), which are crucial for demanding applications, along with a higher-resolution OLED screen offering better color accuracy and contrast. While both laptops have similar RAM, the Gateway's less powerful CPU and GPU, and lower-quality screen make it less suitable for intensive tasks despite its slightly better portability and lower operating noise.
Content Creation
7.0
8.2
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
OLED
The Gigabyte Aero 5 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 5 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
8.6
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
446.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has a better screen than the Gateway 15.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Gateway 15.6" likely offers a serviceable display with adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks, but it may have limited color range and a lower refresh rate, reducing its appeal for color-critical work and fast-paced gaming. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aero 5 probably boasts a high-resolution, bright screen with wide color gamuts, making it ideal for detail-oriented engineering and design work but may fall short for gaming due to a refresh rate that isn't suited for high-speed visual content. For general use, both can perform well, but the Aero 5's superior color accuracy and resolution provide a more vibrant and sharp experience.
Battery
8.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Gateway 15.6" has 8 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 5 has 7 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
15.6in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Gateway 15.6" has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1
7.8
The Gigabyte Aero 5 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
$1,250
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Gateway 15.6" has a price of $380 and the Gigabyte Aero 5 costs $1,250.
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How the Gateway 15.6" and the Gigabyte Aero 5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gateway 15.6" | Gigabyte Aero 5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$380 | $1,250 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2021 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.8'' x 9.5'' x 0.77'' | 14'' x 10'' x 1.08'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.8 lbs | 5.07 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.75" | 14" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.5" | 10" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1135G7 | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | Unknown | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 446 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.1/10 | 7.8/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 5.3/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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 Aero 5
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Dig into reviews and images
The Tech Revolutionist
Zhi Cheng | May 2022
"It is unfortunate that the Gigabyte AERO notebook series have seem to lost its charm, as it’s not exactly any much different from the AORUS series now. Regardless, content creators and designers will certainly still appreciate the features on the AERO 5 XE4, which are fundamental to their work. This largely revolved around the notebook’s display, which is colour calibrated and validated, high resolution (4K) and with great AMOLED colour representation. Now that the AERO 5 XE4 has improved its performance with the latest CPU and GPU, the professionals can also appreciate the improved productivity from the notebook."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 15.6" or the Gigabyte Aero 5
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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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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