Gateway 14.1" Ultra Slim Notebook -- REVIEW

[@Jose0421]

Thank you for this video sir. I bought the gateway ultra slim 15.6 laptop with Ryzen 5 AMD 8gb and 256gb and I could not be any happier I absolutely enjoy it. The THX audio is amazing on this. And I subscribed. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@kimberbites]

How are you liking that version? Looking at that particular build.

[@Jose0421]

@@kimberbites pretty good. No issues or anything. The only con I have however is the mouse takes a bit to get used to but other than that no problems.

[@jessijuache3550]

@@Jose0421 can u do some gaming on it?

[@mikeguzman24]

Nice, clear and straight to the point explanation. I am a teacher who works online for around 6 to 8 hours a day (yep, nightmare for my back) so I would only use it for my classes through Skype, Google Meets and Zoom so, I guess this will be more than enough for it. Thank you very much for the great explanation.

[@jillc6612]

Thank you so much for your review! I got one on a Black Friday deal for my side business. I think it will be great for what I mostly do is on the web =)

[@jennifermartinez7151]

I'm looking for one for my small business. Does it have the capability of having a credit card reader?

[@shikhanshu]

awesome review! i am waiting for this to be delivered and i cant wait for it now! even with the flaws, its an amazing value

[@dec2955]

With no support from Gateway found the following: second drive has to be the same type as the original! In my case that means that drive would be: "M.2 2280 SCSI" Interface of any size you chose. It seems that the first/internal drive can be a "M.2 2280 NVMe" drive.

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Good to know. Thanks for taking the time to share that information!

[@hiccuphell]

did you mean to say SATA, AHCI or SCSI? I'm trying to also identify what m.2 card to buy for my GW14.1 I'm looking at "Western Digital 1TB WD Blue SN550 NVMe" - would this work as the addon ssd?

[@hiccuphell]

it looks like m.2 2280 NVMe is the size/interface for the 2nd SSD for this laptop. see here: imgur.com/a/W5Qiw4I

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Obviously, if you add a circuit board - an SSD, another RAM card - without Gateway endorsing it, be aware that it might damage your computer and will undoubtedly void the warranty. Proceed if you're so inclined, but be aware it might have a negative outcome. Also, let us know if it works!

[@woodFTP]

Good review bro thank you! I heard the bios is unlock and you can enable turbo and runs the processor at full speed. Also I saw another vid that shows you can bump the voltage up a little bit and it will allow u to run games at higher settings without a frame rate drop.

[@AskDaveTaylor]

I would caution you to proceed at your own risk with any of those sorts of BIOS tweaks or voltage changes. Odds are > 0 that you'll brick your PC.

[@alabama2654]

Just picked mine up on clearance for $249. So far so good. I would like to know how to easily remove installed programs I don't want on the computer. Also, says a free update to Windows 11, but no clear instructions on how to. Someone told me to go to Windows 11 site and see if compatible? Says it is? Thanks for your help and I appreciate your review info.

[@noncoxful]

Thank you so much for the review, it was quite helpful!

[@essencethebeauty1143]

Why do I feel so safe when he talk 🥴I had to subscribe

[@AskDaveTaylor]

lol. thanks.

[@kelseyisastar]

Same bro

[@acsw]

The USB-C port does actually provide charging when you plug a USB-C into it! Even tho Walmart says it doesn't, it does lol.

[@AlwaysBolttheBird]

I’ve seen this a couple times online but can’t actually see a video of someone doing it so I’m weary to trust haha.

[@capsuleone3543]

I really like the way to deal with the program.You really make this comfy, while to show the specs of the device...One question with the cpuz I pretended to see the mhz of the ram, is is possible, Just to know that. Thanks for all.

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Sure! It's powered by a 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 Processor (1.0GHz, Up to 3.6GHz, 6M Cache)

[@andrewspoelstra757]

Nice. Next time maybe pop off the bottom cover so we can see what is upgradable inside it?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

I don't open up computers if they're not overtly designed to be opened for user upgrades. I appreciate the curiosity, tho!

[@chrisortiz8072]

Is this the 16gb ram version? Not sure if was mentioned aside from that he is only person to explain the thx sound being good for headphones

[@mamaluigi1485]

Mentions the ram at 2:23

[@Tonytheejedi]

Where can I buy a charger??? I’m having a really hard time trying to replace it

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Should work with almost any 60W - 85W wall charger: Plug it into the USB-C port and you should be fine to go!

[@Tonytheejedi]

You can charge the laptop with a USB-c cable??

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Yep. Undocumented, but I have tested and confirmed it. In fact, that's the only way I charge it now!

[@xandergruver]

I've been trying to find laptops with a lot of RAM because I would like to live stream with as little lag as possible, but I'm on the fence now that I found out that it only has a 1MP camera. Would it be good enough to make videos or live stream?

[@billygoat573]

you should never expect to use a laptop camera for streaming. it’ll get the job done when you’re just starting out but you should really look into getting a webcam

[@MyersJ2Original]

Some of these gateways have windows 10 home in "S" mode though. is it a full version on here or the cheaper S mode?

[@MyersJ2Original]

Nevermind, I was thinking S mode was some slim version. its actually safe mode so people can't download stuff thatll hurt them. Perfect for my non geekspeak mother lol

[@MyersJ2Original]

So here is a real question. If you still have this laptop, can you check with CPUz if its in single channel or dual channel mem mode? Thats a pretty low CPU score on the encode. Thought maybe it was 16GB soldiered to the board on one channel only. And is the ram upgradable or can be changed? And how bout the SSD, does it indicate what type it is? Is it a touchsreen? thanks!

[@rufetmezemov9490]

Hi,you can log out from S mode and use nomral W10

[@LinksterGTI]

@@MyersJ2Original it's showing as dual channel on mine

[@markpinther9296]

I always enjoy your content. I find myself just wanting to know the price so I skip to the end. You know what you are doing of course by holding that carrot. I feel like I am in the grocery store and need a gallon of milk and have walk to the back left corner of the store just to get it. IMHO giving out the price in the beginning won’t stop viewers from seeing your content. I could be dead wrong on that and again, always enjoy your reviews etc. Thanks for your work on this!

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Thanks. I feel like that'd be like starting the mystery with "yes, the Butler did it. But why...?" It could be a fun device, but you're right, I hope people will watch thru and not just focus on the price.

[@mamiltonhorris4476]

He told us the price in the unboxing part 1 at $479.

[@YonEnLaRed]

How is the screen? I bought a lenovo ideapad 3 and the screen is terrible, the colors look washed out, the contrast quality is terrible, many times I cannot distinguish well, especially when there is a lot of white on the screen, I noticed you have a black theme on it

[@AskDaveTaylor]

I always use dark themes, so please don't draw any conclusions based on that. I find the Gateway screen pretty sweet and wonder if you got a bum unit or had the settings oversaturated?

[@abravicious]

Hi! I am hoping you will answer a question for me please. I just purchased this, (I don't even have it yet) but mine only has 4GB of RAM. How does that affect the laptop?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

It all depends on what you're going to do with your computer, honestly. If you're going to be editing 4K videos, you've got a big problem, but if you read Web pages, play a few casual games, and edit in MS Word, you should be fine with 4GB.

[@abravicious]

@@AskDaveTaylor No editing 4K videos here 🤣 It's mainly a place to store photos, take online surveys, and perhaps stream the occasional true crime documentary. Thank you so much for answering.

[@AskDaveTaylor]

I think you'll find it's fine for that. No crime, no foul. :-)

[@abravicious]

@@AskDaveTaylor Haha! Awesome, thank you 😊

[@aimwell8813]

My theory is that GPU stands for Gateway Products USA

[@AskDaveTaylor]

That's not a bad theory, actually!

[@mikemickcrackin754]

I bought the same computer it has a ryzen 7 and fairly decently fast for only $300 good computer definitely recommend for a budget

[@sandramason4693]

sorry this is so late but would this be a good first laptop for school/games?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

I think this would definitely work for school but if the games are pretty demanding, it might be disappointing for a gamer in terms of overall graphics processing capability. I'd check with the developers of the key games you want to try and compare their recommended minimum specs against the Gateway.

[@ddub6135]

I'm late to the game. How is this computer for video editing? Thanks a lot

[@AskDaveTaylor]

The big screen is a plus but it isn't particularly fast so might leave you watching progress bars and spinning wheels way too much... for lightweight work it's probably okay but if you are serious about your video work then something with lots more oomph and memory is going to be a major win.

[@ddub6135]

@@AskDaveTaylor Thanks very much. Appreciate you taking the time to answer my question. Have a great weekend.

[@JemLifeMinistries]

can you recommend a good microphone brand

[@victormanuelnavaurena2546]

I got a problem my laptop it went black screen and it started making a noise how do I fix it

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Hard to diagnose via chat, but it sounds like a hardware problem. Contact Gateway for help, perhaps?

[@kelseyisastar]

Very modern 🤓 Side note -marry me u fox 😘

[@JemLifeMinistries]

What is a good laptop to work a job from home?

[@darvey1979]

suscribed, great review! im just worried about laptop lifespan since my kid likes to play a lot games like minecraft :S

[@AskDaveTaylor]

It's a good idea to teach them how to be gentle with their computer gear (and perhaps best to do that by modeling and pointing out what you're doing). I've had to teach my kids that you can't bang on the keyboard and expect it to work properly 😁 )

[@seamarie3111]

@@AskDaveTaylor My niece is turning 10 soon, and I'm considering getting her a laptop for either that or Christmas. She's very good with electronics she's already had, and loves games like The Sims series, which she can only play on my HP AIO at the moment. I'd like to get her something with enough RAM and memory to play the game with some to spare, but also with a good enough processor and graphics that the game won't be a stuttering, crappy mess. It's that fine line of she's a kid, so don't want to go overkill, but I also don't want to get her a piece of garbage that can't even play the games she likes. I tried to clean out and update my old HP AIO for her, but it just didn't have enough RAM to play the game anymore, although it used to be ok when TS4 was first released 8 years ago. Anyway, a laptop would work better for her. I never buy them for myself because I'm legally blind so they're hardly practical for gaming. One of these little Gateways look like they might do the trick, if she can live without a touch screen ... thanks for the video!

[@FRBxxNiyah]

can i upload on youtube with this or edit videos with good graphics?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

I don't know how it would do with video editing as that can be a pretty demanding task, but you can definitely upload content to KZbin from any device!

[@fred89pj]

Hello. Does it have the backlit keyboard feature?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Not as far as I can tell. Wish it was, esp. with cool LED lighting, but... nope.

[@antonio-zf5ql]

can this handle after effects and most games/softwares due to its 16 gigs of ram?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

It's not a high end gaming machine, nor is it ideal for video production. But the vast majority of PC users want email, MS Word and a Web browser, coupled with an occasional game of Solitaire. :-)

[@jo-annharry7776]

where can I get the mini hdmi cable for monitor

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Amazon has tons of 'em, but your local BestBuy should have them too.

[@abdiali3626]

Can it run after effects smooth

[@Royce017]

Can't find any videos on adding ram or any guides. How do you add ram

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Unsure. There is a small user-accessible panel on the bottom of the computer held in place with two small screws, so that suggests that the RAM (I presume) is accessible, at least...

[@elijahhmarshall]

@@AskDaveTaylor I do not have this laptop so i cannot confirm this, but another KZbin video i watched said that the user accessible panel on the bottom is actually an unpopulated m.2 slot for an extra ssd. They added the panel so you can add one without voiding the warranty. The ram actually seems to be soldered on and cannot be upgraded. Maybe you could confirm this for yourself and get back to us though?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

I'm not going to disassemble my laptop to find out, sorry, but I am skeptical that this supports a second SSD without a word in the documentation or sales information. Best suggestion: Email the Gateway support team to see what they say? And please do come back and post what you find out! Thanks.

[@elijahhmarshall]

@@AskDaveTaylor Thank you for the response. I have actually recently watched several other videos on this laptop and read many reviews and this is what i have found out. The 16gb of ram is soldered on and cannot be upgraded, and the user accessible panel does have an unpopulated m.2 slot for an extra ssd. Cannot confirm if opening this will void the warranty, but it sure seems like it does not as there are no void warranty stickers and accessing it does not expose the motherboard. many laptops will have a void warranty sticker that breaks if you open the actual laptop chassis.

[@Royce017]

@@elijahhmarshall thank you for your research the thumbs down is for not being able to upgrade ram

[@ismaelvargas5017]

Im a engineering student but idk is this pc works for some of the programs like autocad

[@AskDaveTaylor]

A fair point. There are definitely some academic software apps that demand a lot of the PC.

[@survivaljulia9861]

Can you add a mouse with the port?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Most definitely. I've tried a variety of wireless mice with dongles (the mouse includes it) and see no reason a wired mouse / trackpad / trackball wouldn't work great too.

[@vmogli]

Battery life? People have been saying 3-4 hours

[@AskDaveTaylor]

My experience was quite a bit longer than that. As with any computer, your battery life is a function of what you're doing with the device too: If you put it through a high demand CPU test and stress out the GPU you're going to get shorter battery life. If you conserve energy you can stretch out that battery quite a bit longer.

[@elijahhmarshall]

apparently you can put it in a battery saving mode that underclocks the cpu to 1.0 Ghz and you can get as much as 10 hours, but with decreased performance.

[@Genxrocker79]

can you hook a printer scanner up to this?

[@Yunkikihihi]

Do you think this is better or worse than the lenovo ideapad 3 15" ryzen 5 3500u quad-core 8gb ram 256gb ssd?

[@LinksterGTI]

I have this laptop and a thinkpad with the Ryzen 5 3500u, I would say day to day performance is about the same but the Ryzen with the vega graphics can actually handle some decent gaming. One thing to note is the vega graphics eats up 2gb of RAM so Windows will see 6gb not 8gb so I ended up adding another 8gb stick. Also, while the build quality isn't terrible on the Gateway, I'm sure the ideapad will probably be a little better quality. All that being said I still like my gateway.

[@Sryofcrv1]

The TN panel on the Ideapad 3 is AWFUL. I returned mine 1 day after I bought it (the ryzen 3 3200u model with 8gb ram and 256gb ssd) and bought this gateway. the screen is much better and the build quality seems better as well so far.

[@eddielamont9085]

I just unpacking to my new Gateway laptop actually I can't even figure out how to get to start! Personally, I'm not interested in all that gigahertz and megahertz and all that baby talk.... I need help right out of the box.... not everyone is interested in how many hurtz a computer has

[@AskDaveTaylor]

It should have included a Get Started guide, Eddie. And just because you're not interested in the specs, doesn't mean others don't find them important...

[@nolifezay4636]

Is gaming good? Nothing over the top tho?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

It's not at all a GPU-powered design so I wouldn't say this is a gamer PC, though it'll probably do okay with lower-powered titles.

[@isabellaaguirre4651]

Are you able to download apps on there?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Of course. It's a full Windows 10 Home machine so it'll run 99% of all PC software, though some super GPU intensive games are probably not going to manage very well...

[@isabellaaguirre4651]

@@AskDaveTaylor okay thank you

[@rodneyrodgers141]

I work good for the first year now it's a brick or doorstop or paperweight

[@AskDaveTaylor]

That's a drag. Did you reach out to Gateway and/or the place of purchase?

[@bryanp2390]

Any idea what the aspect ratio is?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

It's 1920 x 1080 so it's standard HD resolution and aspect ratio, Bryan: 16:9.

[@irenenicole2750]

Is the camera good like for zoom class

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Yes, I think it would work fine for that, though an external HD webcam can be acquired for around $50 and dramatically up your Zoom game if you want!

[@HacksignKT]

Can I edit videos with it?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Sure, but if you're working with big videos (4K, for example) then it's pretty darn underpowered. Rendering will be rather slow too.

[@HacksignKT]

@@AskDaveTaylor I'm okay with 1080p videos tbh, so it'll cover those right?

[@philippelland1282]

Is it a backlit keyboard?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Not as far as I can tell. Wish it was, esp. with cool LED lighting, but... nope.

[@Kirawolf1971]

I bought this Laptop 3 days ago. I'm disappointed the screen isn't glossy. It's matt anti glare.

[@marcysmalley9587]

Would this laptop run the sims 4?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

I certainly expect so though I didn't test it.

[@Jose0421]

@@AskDaveTaylor It Can run any game depending on the ram and how much storage space you have on it. I can run GTA 5 on mines with no issues.

[@alexhayes7301]

@@Jose0421 thank you. You are a life saver... i think i love you

[@deedee_31]

hi loooove your vodeo straight to the point and i did smash the like button love the hair im a little jelly u type waaaay faster than me haha but thats my hang up im workn on it and i like the the keypad noise haha it makes me sound like i am typing fast or i at least me it me sound like i can type with a little speed lol i wanna know if i can use my chromecast on here to cast movies im a movie and documentary buff and i use just about every device i have from apple yes im one of those chicks haha i looove my apple techy stuff and they are jailbroken as well so its even more powerful kinda like dr frankenstein for idevices lol u can make them how u want with even better bells and whistles well enuff about me pls reply when u can and yes i also subbed to your channel you handsome tech devil you lol stay safe

[@bellacontreras8614]

thank youu!

[@DustyCowdog]

Can you run linux Mint on it?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Can't imagine that you cannot. Linux runs on just about everything in my experience!

[@DustyCowdog]

@@AskDaveTaylor thanks!

[@adriancancino6653]

Ryzen 3 or intel !3

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Honestly, I'm not sure you would be able to tell the difference. Same OS, same apps, same features and capabilities. Intel is more "standard" but whether that's a requirement for your Notebook is something you'll have to decide...

[@JemLifeMinistries]

What is the ghz on this?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core™ i5-1035G1 Processor (1.0GHz, Up to 3.6GHz, 6M Cache)

[@Raj.Singh.]

is it touch screen?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

It is not, as I discuss in the video.

[@OneJackpotTrucker]

Does it have bluetooth?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Yes, it has bluetooth.

[@TihetrisWeathersby]

Is this the $199 version?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

No it is not. I mention the price of this particular model at the end of the video and explain the pros and cons of that price point.

[@TihetrisWeathersby]

@@AskDaveTaylor You should review that one as well and the convertible one, there's not enough people talking about these I've had a good experience with these

[@tyhubb804]

@@TihetrisWeathersby these are the same computers as the evoo from walmart

[@elijahhmarshall]

@@tyhubb804 apparently they gateway models often ship with double ram for the same price though. i'm not sure why, but it seems to be that way.

[@debateme9689]

Windows 10?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

Yes, Windows 10 Home Edition.

[@KleinHeister]

Freaking crap ive never been more dissapointed in a 500 purchase.

[@AskDaveTaylor]

What specifically are you finding disappointing?

[@KleinHeister]

@@AskDaveTaylor the fact that it cant even mantain 60 fps on Morrowind or Wow Classic. Two games from 2002ish that run at 60 fps on my old i3 craptop

[@KleinHeister]

@@AskDaveTaylor I was told that it would run old games flawlessly and I was hoping to utilize the i5 to use the creation kit and make my own morrowind mods and this was just a huge let down.

[@AskDaveTaylor]

I hope you can take it back and get something with a bit more oomph. Sounds like it's not a good match. Good luck!

[@Maeb0310]

Will this be good for college

[@AskDaveTaylor]

I think it could be but before you buy one, check with your school bookstore; they might have really good deals with student discounts too. Most importantly, make sure you have a backup regimen when you're in college so you never lose a term paper!

[@isaiahwilliams8941]

Can I play roblox and pub g on it ?

[@AskDaveTaylor]

I expect so, but it's not a gamer laptop by any means...