The Gateway 15.6" is generally less expensive and offers a balance for general use, with decent battery life and performance suitable for everyday tasks and some light gaming, thanks to its integrated graphics. On the other hand, the MSI GF65 Thin is a bit pricier but excels in gaming and intensive 3D tasks with its dedicated Nvidia graphics. It has a higher refresh-rate display for smoother visuals, but at the cost of shorter battery life. The MSI also has a solid build and better heat management, important for gaming or heavy workloads, while the Gateway prioritizes cost savings and general productivity. 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 for general use
Good for content creation
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
Good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
6.8/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
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 GF65 Thin and Gateway 15.6" are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the MSI GF65 Thin is somewhat better.
The Gateway 15.6" has a less powerful integrated GPU and a lower screen refresh rate of 60 Hz, making it less suitable for fast-paced gaming and 3D applications, whereas the MSI GF65 Thin sports a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a higher refresh rate of 144 Hz, offering smoother visuals and better performance for similar tasks. However, the Gateway may have an advantage with its processor for tasks not heavily reliant on GPU, and it could offer a higher screen quality in terms of color accuracy and brightness.
Engineering and Design
6.2/10
6.7/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI GF65 Thin and Gateway 15.6" are both only fair for engineering and design, though the MSI GF65 Thin is somewhat better.
The Gateway 15.6" offers more RAM, which is beneficial for multitasking in engineering and design, but it has a less powerful integrated GPU compared to the MSI GF65 Thin's stronger dedicated Nvidia graphics card, which is more suited for graphic-intensive tasks. While both have similar CPU capabilities and screen quality, the Gateway is slightly heavier and less portable than the MSI, which also boasts a higher screen refresh rate beneficial for smoother visuals in design work.
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
262.0 nits
The Gateway 15.6" has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for software development, and content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Gateway 15.6" and MSI GF65 Thin may have adequate resolution and brightness, but their panel type might not offer the wide viewing angles and color fidelity preferred for everyday activities like browsing and video streaming. In engineering and design, both laptops might fall short in delivering the wide color gamut coverage necessary for precise color work, impacting tasks such as CAD and photo editing. When it comes to gaming and 3D applications, the low refresh rates on these laptops would not provide as smooth an experience as higher refresh rate displays, which are crucial for fast-paced and visually demanding software.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Gateway 15.6" has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 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.
Build Quality
5.1/10
6.7/10
The MSI GF65 Thin 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 GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gateway 15.6" to be good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Gateway 15.6" laptop, equipped with a solid processor and more RAM, is better suited for multitasking and general use, whereas the MSI GF65 Thin, despite having a high-performance graphics card, has less RAM which may limit performance in general tasks.
Content Creation
7.0/10
6.8/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gateway 15.6" to be good for content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.3/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Gateway 15.6" and MSI GF65 Thin are both only fair for software development.
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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI GF65 Thin and Gateway 15.6" 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 GF65 Thin 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 MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 15.6" or the MSI GF65 Thin
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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Joe Golden, Ph.D
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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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