Best performance for ~1500$

[bamoram]

1) What is your budget? ~1500$

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator. U.S.

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

a. Like: Sager, Sony
b. Dislike: Asus (horrid customer service experiences)

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed? no

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
some gaming, word processing, statistical software, web surfing, video streaming

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both? both

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games? Civ 5, sims 3, Witcher 2, Skyrim

9) How many hours of battery life do you need? 2-3hrs

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK? dont need to see it

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista or Windows 7), Mac OS, Linux, etc. windows 7

Screen Specifics

12) From the choices below, what screen resolution(s) would you prefer? Keep in mind screen size in conjunction with resolution will play a large role in overall viewing comfort level. Everyone is different. Some like really small text, while others like their text big and easy to read. Click here for Screen resolution information. 1080

13) Do you want a Glossy/reflective screen or a Matte/non-glossy screen? prefer matte, but glossy is ok

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? I am not a huge fan of flashy notebooks

15) When are you buying this laptop? ASAP

16) How long do you want this laptop to last? 3-4yrs

Notebook Components

17) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 640GB? Do you want a SSD drive? 500-750BG

18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive? CDRW/DVD-ROM

I really like the sagers, I know that Xotic PC and Malibal are the better resellers.

Just looking for the best bang for the buck. Not sure how much a performance difference there is with an upgrade from a nvidia 560m to an ATI 6990M. The budget is a little flexible, and I would like help configuring the options (hard drive etc). I am also thinking about upgrading the screen if I purchase through Xotic to the 15.6" FHD 16:9 "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Anti-Glare Screen w/ 95% NTSC Color Gamut (1920x1080, but again I want the most bang for the buck, is it worth the 95$?

[bamoram]

bump.

Does anyone know anything about upgrades to a Sager?

[Ferrari353]

Alienware has a nicely spec'd m14x for $1499.
Alienware M14x Gamer Laptop Details | Dell
It's the one that starts at $1499, it has nice specs for $1500. It's only 14" so I'm not sure if that's okay for you.

This one also has good specs for what you need: Custom Laptops, Gaming Notebooks, Custom Gaming Laptops | XOTIC PC

And the 6990 would destroy a 560.

[bamoram]

To keep under budget I need to balance the laptop performance/upgrades.

Which upgrades noticeably improve performance besides the gpu upgrade?

Also, should I get the Sager warranty or the one through the reseller? Would you recommend a 3 year warranty on a laptop of this price range?