Gateway NV51B35u 15.6-Inch Laptop For Sale

I got this laptop as a gift from my Mom. She got it for around the same price you see here on amazon. I’ll break this review down into a few sections.

Performance:
This computer was pretty fast when you first get it. After a while, like any other computer, it slows down a bit. As far as gaming performance, it leaves much to be desired. I ran a few old games like Star Wars Battlefront II and Commando StrikeForce without any instance of “lag.” I will warn you however, this is NOT a gaming laptop! More modern games will be unplayable even with the settings at their lowest. There weren’t any problems that weren’t my fault exclusively. Also, the 4 gigs of ram sounded like a lot to me, but really, it’s not that much. You don’t need to upgrade unless you’re planning on doing some intense multitasking, but I’m glad it’s expandable to 8 gigs.

Graphics:
This laptop will definitely run old games such as Star Wars BattleFront II, GTA San Andreas, and a few other not-so-graphic-intensive titles. This computer will serve you well if you like watching HD movies because the picture is quite nice. The only drawback I see, is with the resolution. It’s 1366 x 768! That’s not bad for a 15″ laptop, but don’t try and fit more than two windows on the screen at once or else you’ll get a bunch of overlapping and hassle. (more on this later)

The 64-bit system:
I wasn’t exactly well-read when it came to 64 bit systems, so I didn’t know what to expect. Really, there isn’t much of a difference between 32 and 64 bit systems. While you will need to download the occasional 64 bit variant for a program, it isn’t a life altering change from 32 to 64bit. There is no change in the look of the computer / pre-loaded software / OS. 64 bit architecture is supposed to be faster and more secure.

The Outside and Keyboard:
The outside of the computer is pretty cool in my opinion. It has a wavy texture that prevents almost all smudges and all fingerprints. This wavy texture continues around the mouse pad and keyboard. There are 3 USB ports and there is 1 HDMI cable spot. There is also an input for another monitor and of course, an ethernet port. The keyboard is rather odd to me. It’s set up normally but the spacing of the keys is a bit weird, but not bad. There is no separation between the keyboard and the numberpad (which is a nice touch). The screen is 15.6″, like is says in the description.

Audio:
This computer came with only 1, off center, mono speaker. The speaker isn’t very loud and, as I said, is off center (to the left.) This doesn’t bother me too much but it has potential to be annoying. Don’t buy this computer if you’re planning to blast music. (You can connect speakers and they’ll sound fine/loud)

Resolution:
The resolution is my only major complaint about this laptop. It’s set up with the dreadful 1366×768 resolution. If you don’t know what resolution is: Resolution determines how much you can fit on your screen at a time. If you’re a multi-tasker, you want a higher resolution. 1366×768 is just about the lowest resolution it can go and still function. It works, but you may sacrifice some graphics with some games and videos.

Windows Experience Index:
The Windows Experience Index is just a benchmarking system that tells you your computer’s overall performance. The scale goes from 1.0 to a 7.9. Here are the results from my (unmodified) laptop:
Processor (what’s rated: Calculations per second) – 3.9
RAM (what’s rated: Memory operations per second) – 5.9 (You really don’t need much RAM, especially if it’s not going to be utilized by the low-end CPU (processor))
Graphics (what’s rated: Desktop Performance) – 4.5
Gaming Graphics (what’s rated: 3D business and gaming graphics performance) – 4.5
Primary Hard Disk (what’s rated: Disk data transfer rate) – 5.8

Summary:
I’ve had this computer for a few months now and I don’t have any major complaints. The gaming graphics could be a faster, but I’m not disappointed. It runs fast and smooth so all you need to do is maintain your computer. The Resolution is pretty crappy, but you won’t notice it if you’re not thinking about it; everything fits on the screen nicely. This is a mid-range, average laptop. This is a good computer for a good price. I’m happy with it.

A great price for a full laptop computer. It does everything I want it to do. Very good display. I am pleased with my purchase.

Got this laptop for my parents who are 83 and 81 years old. They love it. It was easy to set up and works great with their new wireless setup. I added an external keyboard and mouse for them as the laptop keyboard is a little too small for them to see well, but otherwise, it has been a great computer for them and they really like it.

To start I’ll say I’ve purchased many of the Acer models similar to this. They work great, and are at a very low price point.

Good: As always nice screen… bright. Its inexpensive. Tech support was easy to work with. This processor is a good one. Includes high def graphics. Fine for WOW or some of your other games, nothing too intense. 4 GB of RAM is awesome for the price. Shipping was very fast, as I have prime. Took 1 day instead of 2.

Bad: Keyboard sucks. Absolutely awful, i’ve had many customers very upset about the keyboard. First one I opened of this was bad out of the box. Wouldn’t charge the battery. Tried another battery, and it still didn’t charge, tried another cord, still didn’t work. Thus the motherboard was bad out of the box. Called Tech support and explained what I did, he simply said okay, lets get it in. Sent me a fedex label which was good. Bad is they said it’ll be 7-10 days to get it back.

To note: Overall for the price I’d say its good. Computers are just not made like they used to, but at the same time they used to be 1200 dollars… then 800… 600… and now you can get a halfway decent one for under 400..

This is a great laptop for my grandmother. She uses it to surf the net and keep in contact via Skype and email.. Facebook.

I have used Gateway since 2001, and this is our third one. We have replaced our old ones as needed to aquire the new windows programs. We have had very little problems with Gateway and they seem to fit well into most all our use. Again a great product.

They seem to be working just fine. Not sure why we have to fill out so much about the product. It is really simple, either you like it or your don’t. But on this item, we did not keep it.

Got this for my mother, who is a senior citizen with limited but improving PC skills. Besides the occasional rare video game crash (Peggle Nights), no problems with internet surfing, watching YouTube, or playing PopCap/casual games. Not the fastest laptop in the world, but gets the job done. No fatal issues or fiascoes. Much more stable than Gateway’s Windows 8 laptops (thankfully, because I couldn’t deal with my mother calling me all the time to help with them.)

I’d recommend this laptop for your non technical family members or casual users due to its "hands off" nature and ease "out of the box".