The Gateway 15.6" is significantly less expensive and offers moderate performance suitable for general use, with adequate battery life and is somewhat portable. Its keyboard and built quality are decent, but it might not handle intensive tasks as well as a more powerful laptop. The Gigabyte Aorus 17H, on the other hand, is more expensive but packs a high-performance punch for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering software. It has a larger, high-refresh-rate display and superior graphics, but its battery life is shorter than Gateway's and it's less portable due to its larger size and heavier weight, making it suitable for intensive gaming and professional tasks more so than on-the-go productivity. 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 Aorus 17H
Very good for engineering and design
Very 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 speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0/10
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
351.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.9/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H and Gateway 15.6" are both good for general use, though the Gigabyte Aorus 17H is somewhat better.
The Gateway 15.6" offers a balance for general use with a lighter, more portable design suitable for on-the-go work, moderate screen quality, and adequate performance with its Intel i5 processor and integrated graphics. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 17H, while less portable due to its larger size and weight, offers higher performance for more demanding applications with an Intel i7 processor, a powerful Nvidia RTX GPU, and a superior screen with a higher refresh rate and color range, but it has shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
8.7/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H is very good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
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
6.2/10
8.6/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H outperforms the Gateway 15.6" for engineering and design due to its superior CPU, a higher-end Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU which greatly exceeds the integrated graphics of the Gateway, and double the storage capacity. Additionally, the Gigabyte has a better screen with higher brightness and color coverage, which is crucial for design work, although it is less portable and might be noisier due to its powerful hardware.
Content Creation
7.0/10
8.0/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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
6.7/10
7.5/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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
6.1/10
8.3/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
351.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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's screen may offer adequate clarity and brightness for everyday tasks and basic engineering software, but it lacks the color depth and accuracy needed for high-end design work and isn't sharp or responsive enough for immersive gaming experiences. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus 17H provides a vibrant and precise display for both productivity and creative work, but despite its superior resolution and panel quality, its lower refresh rate may disappoint gamers looking for fluid visual performance. Both laptops are less ideal for gaming or 3D content creation, where fast screen refresh rates are crucial to keep up with rapid movements and provide a smooth visual experience.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Gateway 15.6" has 8 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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
Good
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Gateway 15.6" has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
7.4/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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
$2,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Gateway 15.6" has a price of $380 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17H costs $2,000.
"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."
"Overall though, it’s *lots of swearing* fast, seriously. For work, rendering, gaming, it doesn’t matter, this is a true weapon of performance that’s going to run rings around most high-end desktop systems. If you absolutely have to game at ultra-high refresh rates on the go (but within thinking distance of a plug socket), this is the ticket. I can’t see such an extreme being that appealing to everyone, but if you take your gaming seriously, or even professionally, there’s nothing else out there that comes close that you can still fit in your backpack and travel with."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 15.6" or the Gigabyte Aorus 17H
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.
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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