The Gateway 15.6" is a lower-cost option with a decent screen size, suitable for general use, and features like a backlit keyboard and number pad. However, if you are looking for higher performance, especially for gaming or intensive engineering software, then the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" offers a more powerful processor and graphics card, a better display with higher resolution and refresh rate, and a lightweight design, but at a higher price. The Legion also has a more modern design and includes features such as hardware ray tracing and DLSS for better gaming experience. Keep in mind that the longer battery life and additional features may justify the Lenovo's higher expense if those aspects are important for you. 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"
The Gateway 15.6" has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16".
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16"
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very 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
8.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
502.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" is very good for general use, while the Gateway 15.6" is good.
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
6.0/10
8.2/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" is very good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Gateway 15.6" laptop is fair for gaming and 3D because it has a less powerful integrated graphics unit and a lower screen refresh rate, which are limiting factors for high-performance gaming and 3D rendering. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" excels in these areas due to its more advanced dedicated GPU that supports hardware ray tracing, and a much higher screen refresh rate, enhancing gameplay smoothness and visual fidelity.
Engineering and Design
6.2/10
8.6/10
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 Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" outperforms the Gateway 15.6" in engineering and design use due to its superior AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX GPU, which provide much higher processing and graphical power necessary for complex tasks, along with a higher quality screen with better resolution and color accuracy. Although the Gateway has a decent CPU and GPU for light use, it falls short in screen quality and the absolute performance required for intensive engineering applications; the tradeoff is that it's somewhat more portable and has a quieter operating noise, which may be preferable for some users.
Content Creation
7.0/10
8.3/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" 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
8.0/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" 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
8.7/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
502.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 has a better screen than the Gateway 15.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, where readability and comfort are key, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 boasts a higher resolution and superior brightness compared to the Gateway, offering clearer and more vibrant visuals. In engineering and design tasks, the color accuracy and range, critical for precise work, are better represented on the Lenovo's display as it covers a wider spectrum of DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB color gamuts. However, for gaming and 3D applications that prioritize smooth motion, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, even though the Lenovo may provide slightly crisper images due to its higher resolution and panel technology.
Battery
8.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Gateway 15.6" has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 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.
Build Quality
5.1/10
7.6/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" 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
$1,680
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Gateway 15.6" has a price of $380 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" costs $1,680.
"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 7 is a slim Legion notebook that is just as excellent with Nvidia & Intel. However, the Legion Slim 7i slightly sullied by lacklustre battery life. You get a slim aluminium chassis, great input devices, decent port selection, fast high-quality WQXGA display and great performance. Supporting Thunderbolt 4 is one advantage of the Intel/Nvidia model tested in this review. Moreover, this variant has slightly higher CPU performance as well as better GPU performance in certain applications (e.g. CUDA-based apps). The Lenovo Legion S7i is thin, premium and performant – but less efficient than its AMD counterpart."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 15.6" or the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16"
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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