The Gateway 15.6" is much less expensive than the Lenovo Legion 9i, making it a suitable option if budget is a concern. It offers modest performance suitable for general use, lightweight tasks, decent portability, and has a numeric keypad. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 9i, while much more expensive, provides exceptional performance for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks with its high-end processor and powerful graphics card. With a higher resolution display and superior build quality, it is less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to general use laptops. The decision should be based on whether the need for high performance and advanced features outweighs the significant price difference and less portability. 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 Lenovo Legion 9i
Very good for general use
Best in class for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Best in class overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the Gateway 15.6" is good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i excels in general use with a more powerful processor, double the RAM and storage, and a higher-resolution Mini LED screen compared to the Gateway 15.6", which makes it better for intensive tasks; however, it's heavier and has shorter battery life, making the Gateway more portable and potentially more suitable for users who prioritize longer unplugged usage.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
9.2/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent for gaming and 3D tasks mainly due to its Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and high refresh rate display, which ensure smooth and detailed graphics rendering. In contrast, the Gateway 15.6" with its Intel i5-1135G7 Iris Xe graphics and standard refresh rate screen provides a fair gaming experience but lacks the graphical processing power and display fluidity found in the Lenovo.
Engineering and Design
6.2/10
9.6/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 9i excels in engineering and design due to its superior main processor, double the RAM, and a high-end graphics card which outperform the Gateway 15.6", making it ideal for demanding tasks that require more processing power and graphics handling. While each has a quality display, the Lenovo's screen offers higher resolution and brightness, enhancing visual detail essential for design work; however, the Gateway is lighter and may have a longer battery life, making it more portable for everyday use.
Content Creation
7.0/10
8.7/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
8.3/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very 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
9.7/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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" laptop provides adequate clarity and brightness for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming, but for engineering and design work, it might lack the color accuracy and range that professionals need, while its lower refresh rate could hinder the smooth visuals critical for gaming and 3D applications. The Lenovo Legion 9i, with its superior resolution and brightness, offers crisp and vibrant visuals for both general users and professionals in engineering and design thanks to extensive color coverage, but doesn't offer the high refresh rates that are crucial for gaming and utilizing 3D modeling software effectively. Therefore, the Gateway suits casual use and budget-conscious users, while the Lenovo Legion 9i caters to users who require top-notch color representation for professional work but not necessarily for gaming or 3D rendering purposes.
Battery
8.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Gateway 15.6" has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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
16.0in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Gateway 15.6" has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 9i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
$3,420
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Gateway 15.6" has a price of $380 and the Lenovo Legion 9i costs $3,420.
"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."
"The Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 15.6" or the Lenovo Legion 9i
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.
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