A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Gateway 15.6" offers a larger screen, more storage, and more memory, which is advantageous for general use and more intensive tasks like engineering or 3D work. However, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, while more costly and with less storage and memory, is more portable and offers better build quality, a higher resolution touchscreen, and a newer operating system. The Surface is suited for on-the-go users who prefer a compact, higher-quality screen and touch capability. If portability isn't a priority and you require more power and storage for demanding applications, the Gateway might be the better choice. 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2.
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
- Good for software development
- Good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.1
6.9
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a better screen than the Gateway 15.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
The Gateway's screen may lack the high resolution and panel quality that enhance visual detail and color accuracy, which are crucial for engineering design work and immersive gaming experiences. Meanwhile, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 offers a sharper and more vivid display that's better suited for detailed design work thanks to superior color reproduction, but its refresh rate is still not ideal for the fast-paced visuals demanded by gaming and 3D applications. Both laptops, however, provide sufficient quality for everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos, where extreme color accuracy and refresh rates are less critical.
Portability
Good
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the Gateway 15.6" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.0
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Gateway 15.6" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use.
The Gateway 15.6" offers a robust CPU and ample RAM enhancing performance for everyday tasks, while its larger screen may be preferable for viewing comfort, but this can affect portability and battery life. In contrast, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is highly portable with a smaller, high-quality screen and known for better battery life, though it might have less power and multitasking capability due to a less powerful CPU and less RAM.
Gaming and AI
6.0
6.0
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and Gateway 15.6" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Gateway 15.6" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are considered fair for gaming and 3D because both have the same CPU and integrated GPU, which provide moderate performance for these tasks. The Surface Laptop Go 2 has a smaller screen with a higher pixel density, contributing to sharper image quality, while both have a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, which is adequate but not ideal for fast-paced gaming.
Engineering and Design
6.2
6.5
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and Gateway 15.6" are both only fair for engineering and design.
The Gateway 15.6" has more RAM and higher storage capacity which are very important for engineering and design uses, although its larger size and weight reduce its portability compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, which offers greater screen quality and portability but is limited by less RAM and lower storage capacity. Both laptops' CPUs and GPUs are suitable for light engineering tasks, with emphasis on portability for the Surface Laptop Go 2 and performance for the Gateway 15.6".
Content Creation
7.0
7.1
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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.
Software Development
6.7
7.0
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 to be 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.
Battery
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Gateway 15.6" has 8 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has 8 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.
Cost
$600
$600
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
The Gateway 15.6" has a price of $600 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $600.
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How the Gateway 15.6" and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gateway 15.6" | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$600 | $600 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2021 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.8'' x 9.5'' x 0.77'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.8 lbs | 2.48 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.75" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.5" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1135G7 | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 128 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | Unknown | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.1/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 5.3/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Gateway 15.6"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Francisco Lahoz | July 2022
"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."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | August 2022
"The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 review is a compact companion with old hardware. The Surface Laptop Go 2 shows some weaknesses. Microsoft didn't really develop the second generation of the Surface Laptop Go 2 any further but has only equipped it with a slightly more powerful Core i5 processor. However, the performance still remains at a fairly low level overall, but for many users, it definitely should still be sufficient for everyday tasks."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 15.6" or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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