There are always deals coming down the pipeline, many for new laptops and computers. It’s great because, at any time, you can upgrade an old system, replace one, or grab something extra. What’s not so great is the disparity between value and cost. If you go cheap, generally, you’re sacrificing power, performance, and features. If you go expensive, well, you’re paying a hefty price overall. Buying the cheapest available laptop isn’t always the best idea, either.
What if you want something that truly strikes a good balance, but won’t empty your wallet or bank account — especially during these trying times? Gateway’s GWTN116-3 11.6-inch Ultra Slim Notebook is a great answer to that question. But rather than throwing a bunch of tech jargon and confusing specifications your way, we thought we’d explain this one a little better. You can check out the Gateway 11.6-inch laptop below, which is on sale for $149 right now, in all styles, with free shipping at Walmart. It’s normally $200, so you’re saving $50. Or, you can also skip further down to read more about it before making a decision.
Why is this Gateway laptop such a good deal?
To state the obvious up front, Walmart has the Gateway 11.6-inch Ultra Slim Notebook on sale right now for $149 with free shipping, which is $50 off the $200 list price. That deal is good for all colors including grey, blue, red, and green. But we are talking about a super cheap laptop here, so what’s the big deal? Is the performance worth it for that price? Let’s dig in.
Just to throw some specifications out, for those that do care, it’s powered by an Intel Celeron N4020 processor with a 1.1GHz clock speed, up to 2.8GHz max. That CPU has a 4MB cache, and it’s paired with 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. It also has 64GB of eMMC storage, which isn’t much, but the built-in MicroSD slot supports up to a 512GB card for quite the expansion. Additional features include an 11.6-inch LCD IPS display running at a native resolution of 1366 x 768, a precision touchpad below the keyboard, Bluetooth 4.0 wireless connectivity, a 1MP front-facing webcam, a mini HDMI output, and 2 USB 3.0 ports. It comes with Windows 10 in S-mode, which can be disabled, and a 1-year subscription to the Microsoft 365 Personal Suite. You’ll even get a free upgrade to Windows 11, Microsoft’s latest operating system, once that releases.
Now that’s a lot to take in all at once, so let’s break it down. The processor is not powerful, but it will provide ample performance. The 4GB of RAM does limit applications, and it would have been nice to see at least 8GB total, but it is what it is. Finally, there’s no dedicated GPU, so this thing definitely isn’t ideal for gaming. But it does offer up to 8.5 hours of battery life, depending on usage, which is commendable.
All in all, it’s an excellent choice for productivity tasks, quick, on-the-go work, maybe some schoolwork, and browsing the web. It should also work fine streaming media, provided you have a reliable internet connection in your home or living space.
While we don’t recommend a system like this as a daily driver — or something you’ll be using as a go-to machine — it’s certainly a great option to complement your existing setup. If you have another desktop or laptop, this one is great for smaller tasks, while you’re relaxing or moving about your home. It’s also super thin and lightweight, coming in at just under 3 pounds. You could easily toss it into a handbag or backpack in a rush. If you have a machine that’s dying, broken, or need to replace yours in a pinch, this is also a great choice for that, at least until you can save up for something better.
Again, at $149 it’s hard to beat the price to value ratio here. No, it’s not a blazing fast computer that’s going to run all of the latest games and graphics-intensive digital editing programs, but it will handle smaller, productivity-focused tasks just fine! Plus, those color options are pretty rad.
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