The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 offers more advanced gaming features, including a dedicated Nvidia graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate, which is crucial for fast-paced games. Its AMD processor is well-suited for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks. However, it's typically more expensive than the Gateway 15.6", which offers solid performance for general use with its Intel processor and integrated graphics, at a lower price point. The Lenovo also has a slightly larger screen with a higher resolution and better color representation, but both have similar portability. If cost is less of a concern and you need better gaming and engineering capabilities, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is the better option. If you're focused on general use and budget-friendly options, the Gateway 15.6" is more suitable. 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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0/10
7.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and Gateway 15.6" are both good for general use, though the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is somewhat better.
The Gateway 15.6" is equipped with an efficient Intel CPU and integrated graphics, making it lightweight and suitable for basic tasks, while its IPS display offers decent viewing angles but average color coverage; however, its portability is enhanced by its relatively smaller size and weight. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 features a more powerful AMD CPU and dedicated Nvidia graphics, which handle demanding applications better and offer a higher refresh rate and better color coverage on its screen but come with a tradeoff of slightly increased weight and potentially shorter battery life, despite having a higher battery capacity.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
7.7/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is 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
8.0/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is better suited for engineering and design tasks due to its superior Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card and more robust AMD Ryzen 5 processor, which can handle complex computation and graphics-intensive applications, whereas the Gateway 15.6" is limited by its integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU and a less powerful Intel i5 processor, restricting its ability to smoothly run demanding software.
Software Development
6.7/10
7.4/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 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
6.1/10
7.2/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 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 has a basic display that does a decent job for tasks not requiring color accuracy or high resolution, which suffices for everyday use but falls short for detail-oriented engineering work and lacks the high refresh rates needed for smooth gaming or 3D rendering. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5's screen provides sharper images and more accurate colors that appeal to engineering and design professionals, although for gaming and 3D applications, it may not offer the ultra-fast refresh rates that these tasks typically demand. For general usage, both laptops offer displays that are perfectly usable, but for specialized tasks like engineering, design, or gaming, the Lenovo edges out as the more suitable option despite not being ideal for high-end gaming or 3D work due to its refresh rate limitations.
Battery
8.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Gateway 15.6" has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 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
16.0in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Gateway 15.6" has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 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
$1,000
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Gateway 15.6" has a price of $380 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 costs $1,000.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gateway 15.6" and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 compare to other laptops
"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 Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 15.6" or the Lenovo Legion Slim 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 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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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.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Laptops Expert
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