The Gateway 15.6" offers a good balance for general use, with a slightly better value thanks to its lower price and sufficient storage and RAM for everyday tasks, but its performance for more intensive engineering or 3D/machine learning tasks is limited. On the other hand, the MSI Cyborg 15 stands out with a more powerful processor and specialized graphics card, making it well-suited for gaming, engineering, and creative applications. However, it comes at a higher cost and has half the RAM of the Gateway, which could affect multitasking capabilities. Both laptops offer portability, IPS displays with standard refresh rates for their screens, and full HD resolution, but the Cyborg's screen is brighter. If long battery life and portability are priorities, the Gateway might be more attractive, but for better overall performance, particularly in graphics-intensive applications, the MSI Cyborg is the better option. 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 MSI Cyborg 15.
Advantages of the MSI Cyborg 15
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
7.2/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 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
7.5/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI Cyborg 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Gateway 15.6" has a fair performance for engineering and design due to its Intel i5 processor and integrated graphics, which are sufficient for less demanding tasks but might struggle with intensive software. The MSI Cyborg 15, on the other hand, offers good performance with its superior Intel i7 processor and dedicated Nvidia graphics, making it more suitable for engineering and design work that requires more processing power and advanced graphics capabilities.
Screen Quality
6.1/10
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The MSI Cyborg 15 has a better screen than the Gateway 15.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When choosing between the Gateway 15.6" and MSI Cyborg 15, consider your primary activities. For general use like browsing and video streaming, both laptops have screens that offer adequate resolution and brightness, but they might not be exceptionally vibrant or sharp compared to premium models. Engineers and designers may find the color representation lacking for precise work as these laptops do not excel in color gamuts, while gamers might be disappointed with the refresh rates, affecting the smoothness of fast-paced visuals.
Build Quality
5.1/10
6.7/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 has only fair 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
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Gateway 15.6" has a price of $380 and the MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
The MSI Cyborg 15 and Gateway 15.6" are both good for general use.
The Gateway 15.6" offers a solid balance for general use with its Intel i5 processor and 16GB RAM, coupled with a quality IPS screen, which makes for a comfortable viewing experience, though it lacks on portability and speaker quality. In contrast, the MSI Cyborg 15, despite its more powerful Intel i7 processor and superior graphics card suitable for more demanding tasks, comes with half the RAM, which might limit heavy multitasking but benefits from better heat management and a higher portability score.
Content Creation
7.0/10
7.5/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Cyborg 15 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
6.7/10
7.2/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Cyborg 15 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
7.5 Hours
The Gateway 15.6" has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Cyborg 15 has 7.5 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
15.6in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Gateway 15.6" and MSI Cyborg 15 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gateway 15.6" and the MSI Cyborg 15 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 focus of the MSI Cyborg 15 lies on a compromise of performance, mobility, and power consumption. Due to the reduced performance settings, the CPU and GPU perform below their capabilities. Nonetheless, their computing power is still sufficient for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings even then. The power consumption, which is low for a gaming laptop, can be translated into a good battery life. Realistic values of 7 to 8 h are still possible, despite the relatively small battery capacity of 53.5 Wh. Unfortunately the USB-C port doesn't offer any support for Power Delivery, which would be a sensible feature in the case of the Cyborg."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 15.6" or the MSI Cyborg 15
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 MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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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