Reddit mentions of Eluktronics N850HJ Pro Premium Gaming Laptop - Intel Core i7-7700HQ Quad Core Windows 10 Home 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 15.6” Full HD IPS Display 256GB Performance SSD + 8GB DDR4 RAM

I would recommend this Eluktronics N850HJ because it comes with everything you need , i7 quad core CPU which is one of the best in the market and great for your usage, 8 GB of ram for smooth multitasking, Good SSD storage of 256 GB for faster boot up and loading, Full HD IPS screen which is a must have for this price range, high build quality, very good heat management, profissinal looking, and it is within your budget.

How about this? https://www.amazon.com/Eluktronics-N850HK1-Premium-Gaming-Laptop/dp/B06XSYPVQG/

Similar specs, but

• The screen has better colors (82% sRGB instead of 57%) -- Only applies to the Eluktronics version, not Prostar, Sager, etc. as of writing.
  
• SSD only but the SSD is 256GB and there's a slot for a HDD if you have one you want to install.
  
• RAM can be DIY upgraded to 12GB for $20-$30 if you wish.
  
• Note: Offered 4K upgrade on both the Eluktronics and HP is PenTile not-true-4K. If you wanted a higher res, I would choose a refurb Dell Inspiron 7567 4K from the Dell Outlet for $1016 with coupon AFF10Ins7567, since that uses a true 4K display.

Niiiice. Congratz dude! I'm so close to my goal. I've been busting my ass too. Gonna get this badboy

With your budget and based on the fact that you will someday want to play some more graphic intensive games, I recommend you get a better laptop than the ASUS K501UW-AB78. It's display is not terrible, but it's viewing angles are poor...Also, it has a dual core processor which is not the best for demanding games (a quad core i5 or 7 will be much better)...In your budget range, if you could go to 5.5 lbs and push your budget to the top and get this Aspire VX 15 Gaming Laptop , you definitely would get the performance power you want to do the tasks mentioned. It has a powerful quad core i7 processor, 16 GB RAM, a powerful Gtx 1050 Ti graphics card and a fast 256 GB SSD with an empty slot to hold another Hard drive or SSD..This laptop also has a very crisp display with IPS technology , it has a decent build quality and battery life is not bad at all... If it however, is too flashy for you and has too much of a gamy look, this Eluktronics N850HJ Pro Premium Gaming Laptop with less colors would be more ideal.

If you're looking for something neutral looking, how about this?

The Eluktronics N850HJ would a very suitable choice for you considering the fact that its well within your budget and the specs is capable of running the tasks you intend to run on it and game smoothly as well. it comes with a powerful

• 7th Gen Intel® Core i7-7700HQ (2.8GHz/3.8GHz) Quad Core Processor
  
• Genuine Windows 10 Home 64-Bit
  
• 2GB GDDR5 VRAM Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Graphics
  
• 8GB DDR4 2400MHz RAM
  
• 15.6" Full HD IPS LED Anti-Glare Display (1920 x 1080)
  
• 1 HDMI; 2 Mini DisplayPorts; 1 USB 3.1 Type-C
  
• 256GB Performance SATA III SSD
  
• Full HD 2.0MP Webcam; Intel Wireless-AC 8265 + Bluetooth® v4.2
  Full Size RGB Color Backlit Keyboard.

The Eluktronics N850HJ Pro Premium Gaming Laptop is a great choice

Save up a bit more so you can get the 700-1000 price range and be able to get something that will work well and last longer. I hear Eluktronics are good budget laptops for gaming.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA8S15UZ3741&cm_re=Eluktronics-_-9SIA8S15UZ3741-_-Product

https://www.amazon.com/Eluktronics-N850HJ-Premium-Gaming-Laptop/dp/B06XSYPVQG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1505547839&sr=1-1&keywords=Eluktronics

If you want a decent gaming laptop below your budget you can look at the
Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575G-57D4

• Display: 15.6-Inches Full HD Notebook 1920 x 1080
  
• Processor: i5-7200U
  
• RAM: 8GB DDR4 SDRAM
  
• Storage: 256GB SSD (HDD can be added)
  
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 940MX with 2GB of GDDR5
  
• Battery life: 8 hrs+
  
• Weight: 5.27 lbs
  
  This Acer mixes work and play as it has decent specs but most importantly a GeForce 940MX graphics card which most laptops at this price point don’t carry. Having 8 hrs+ on a student laptop that can game is also a big plus. One drawback of this system is that it’s a bit heavy for a student laptop
  
  The Witcher 3 game play
  
  
  Detailed Review
  
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  But one of the best laptops in your budget is the Eluktronics N850HJ Pro
  
  
• Intel Core i7-7700HQ Quad Core
  
• 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
  
• 15.6” Full HD IPS Display
  
• 256GB Performance SSD
  
• 8GB DDR4 RAM
  
  While most are not familiar with the Eluktronics brand they are a decent brand which usually produces laptops with a solid build quality

Gonna get this one https://www.amazon.com/Eluktronics-N850HK1-Premium-Gaming-Laptop/dp/B06XSYPVQG/ but I gotta wait to next weekend

Idk why it always links that version but the one with the 1050ti and ssd+hdd