Reddit mentions of ASUS N53SM-ES72 15.6-Inch Laptop (Silver Aluminum)

The Y570 shouldn't be a top contender on your list.

You should stay away from 15.6" 1366x768 displays, especially at prices of $800 and above. 15.6" 1366x768 displays limit multitasking and productivity by making things onscreen large, and they usually have very poor image quality. I don't recommend 15.6" 1366x768 displays to people who have a budget to get a laptop that has a better display and at the same time suits their needs, and who don't have eyesight-related concerns with smaller text.

The other primary issue is misleading advertisement regarding the GPU: The particular version of the GT 555M which is used in the Y570 is actually closer in performance to a GT 540M than to a true 192-bit GT 555M such as the one used in the Alienware M14x and Dell XPS 17

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One more issue that often misleads potential buyers into being attracted to the Y570 is that it has a Core i7 processor. But having a Core i7 processor doesn't actually matter much when choosing a computer unless you have a specific need for one. Gaming doesn't require a fast CPU because gaming is primarily GPU-bottlenecked, and simple everyday usage doesn't have anything to do with how fast your CPU is.

The amount of RAM (memory) shouldn't be a factor when buying, because:

• Usually you won't need more than 4GB.
  
• You can upgrade memory after-market for: $20 for 4GB -> 6GB, $20 for 6GB -> 8GB, or $40 for 4GB -> 8GB.
  
  The CPU and the RAM are just marketing. They don't actually make much of a difference for the casual-to-midrange gamer or certainly to the general user.
  
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  Consider these options before you consider the Y570:
  
  
• ASUS N53SV-DH51 (i5-2430M, GT 540M, 15.6" 1920x1080 matte, Blu-ray) - $849 - Avoid the N53SV-EH71/N53SV-DH71/N53SN-DH71/N53SM-DS71 models
  
• ASUS N53SM-ES72 (i7-2670QM, GT 630M, 15.6" 1920x1080 matte) - $899 - Avoid the N53SV-EH71/N53SV-DH71/N53SN-DH71/N53SM-DS71 models
  
• HP DV6z Quad Edition (A6-3420M, Radeon 7690M, 15.6" 1920x1080 matte) - $699 + tax with coupon code 25LOGICBUY - Don't downgrade to the 1366x768 display; don't downgrade the GPU. Note: CPU upgrades are well-priced for the performance gain. Important: Go into the BIOS and set the graphics switching to FIXED.
  
• HP DV6t Select Edition (i5-2430M, Radeon 7690M, 15.6" 1920x1080 matte) - $799 + tax with coupon code 25LOGICBUY - Don't downgrade to the 1366x768 display; don't downgrade the GPU; don't upgrade to the 2GB GPU. Important: Go into the BIOS and set the graphics switching to FIXED.
  
• HP DV6t Quad Edition (i7-2670QM, Radeon 7690M, 15.6" 1920x1080 matte) - $899 + tax with coupon code NBT3286 - Don't downgrade to the 1366x768 display; don't downgrade the GPU; don't upgrade to the 2GB GPU. Important: Go into the BIOS and set the graphics switching to FIXED.
  
  Notes:
  
  
• The $849 ASUS N53SV-DH51 is essentially cheaper than the Y570, because Newegg doesn't charge sales tax.
  
• All three models of the HP DV6 will beat the Y570 in game performance, because the Radeon 7690M is faster than the Y570's pseudo-GT555M.

Try looking at this.

Ok so it is down to this and Your recommendation I am hesitant about ordering off of amazon though.

*Edit - The link was broken, If this one doesn't work either here are the specs - Xoticpc, 15.6 inch 1920 clear gloss, 8GB Mem, i7 2670QM, Nvidia GT540M 2GB, 500GB 7200 HDD.

>First of all. Dell is great, but if you want a gaming laptop you want Alienware. No contest.

I strongly disagree, with Alienware you are paying simply for the name. Dell bought Alienware a few years back and you can get an ample Dell laptop with gaming specs for well under the cost of Alienware. If you go with Dell, I highly suggest trying out their outlet. You can usually find coupon codes on sites like SlickDeals where you can save upwards of 20% on outlet PCs (which still have full warranties). This allows you to get a much higher spec PC then you would have on a budget.

Samsung, Acer and Asus all make terrific gaming laptops for $700-$1000. As an example, this ASUS is very popular, as is this Samsung. The main point when shopping for a gaming laptop is to stay away from the Intel HD graphics machines, and look for mobile Nvidia or mobile ATI graphics chipsets. You'll want at least a Quad Core processor, 7200RPM hard drive and 6-8GB of memory.

Nearly every laptop maker out there makes great hardware that can run today's games, because the component prices are so cheap. If you have games in mind you like and you find some models of laptops, simply Google the model + the games you want to run on it. Example, if you want a Samsung Series 7, type Samsung Series 7 running Diablo.

No brand is really better than any other, that is the beauty of PCs... as most have the same components within. Just make sure to do your research on any issues (performance or hardware related) with the model(s) you are interested in before making a purchase. Also, buying online from a site like Amazon or NewEgg could save you hundreds in sales tax.

EDIT: Grammar.

I ended up going with the ASUS N53SM-ES72. After searching for the past 4 days, this is the one that best fit what I was looking for on my budget.