The Gateway 15.6" is a more budget-friendly choice with a midrange price, decent storage and RAM, and a solid processor for general use. It has a standard 15.6-inch display, which is more common for laptops and may result in a heavier and thicker device compared to some ultra-portables like the LG Gram 17. On the other hand, the LG Gram 17 is pricier but offers a larger, higher-resolution 17-inch display and significantly more storage and RAM, suiting more demanding work like engineering tasks. The LG Gram 17, despite its larger screen, is known for its portability due to its extremely light 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"
The Gateway 15.6" has no clear advantages over the LG Gram 17.
Advantages of the LG Gram 17
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good battery life
Good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0/10
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
353.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The LG Gram 17 is very good for general use, while the Gateway 15.6" is good.
The LG Gram 17 excels in general use due to its higher resolution and larger screen, more powerful processor, double the storage and RAM, and a significantly lighter design that enhances portability, alongside a long-lasting battery. In contrast, the Gateway 15.6" falls a bit behind with a standard full HD screen, less powerful CPU, half the storage and RAM, while being heavier and with a lower battery life, but it also comes at a lower price point, making it a solid choice for everyday tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
6.5/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The LG Gram 17 and Gateway 15.6" are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the LG Gram 17 is somewhat better.
The LG Gram 17 has a more powerful CPU and a higher screen resolution, making it better for gaming and 3D applications compared to the Gateway 15.6", which has a less powerful processor and lower screen resolution. Both have integrated Iris Xe graphics, but the LG's superior CPU can handle demanding tasks more efficiently, influencing overall performance.
Engineering and Design
6.2/10
8.0/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The LG Gram 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Gateway 15.6" has a mid-range Intel i5 processor, less RAM, and a standard Full HD screen, making it fair for engineering, whereas the LG Gram 17 comes with a more powerful Intel i7 processor, double the RAM, and a higher resolution larger screen which enhances design and engineering work quality. On top of this, the LG Gram is significantly lighter and more portable, with a higher quality keyboard and quieter operation, but its superior features come at a higher cost compared to the Gateway.
Content Creation
7.0/10
8.4/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The LG Gram 17 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
8.2/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The LG Gram 17 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
7.4/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
353.0 nits
The LG Gram 17 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, the LG Gram 17 offers a higher resolution and better brightness, which enhances everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. The LG's advantage in engineering and design comes from its wider color gamut coverage, ensuring more accurate color representation for professional work. However, both the Gateway 15.6" and LG Gram 17 are limited for gaming and 3D applications due to their lower refresh rates, which can't deliver as smooth motion as specialized gaming laptops.
Battery
8.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Gateway 15.6" has 8 hours of battery life. The LG Gram 17 has 11 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
Good
15.6in
SIZE
17.0in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The LG Gram 17 and Gateway 15.6" both have good portability, though the LG Gram 17 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
7.0/10
The LG Gram 17 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
$1,699
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Gateway 15.6" has a price of $380 and the LG Gram 17 costs $1,699.
"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 LG Gram 17 is a light office laptop with a large display and great battery life. The newest incarnation of the Gram 17 can be classified as a model update. LG uses the predecessor's compact, light magnesium case along with an identical port configuration (including 2x Thunderbolt 4) and keyboard. Changes can be found in the hardware. With the Gram 17 (2022), LG offers a light (approx. 1,350 g), mobile work device - and finally with a matte display."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 15.6" or the LG Gram 17
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 LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, 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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