Programming laptop with discrete graphics < £1000

[Marco-we]

What is your budget?
< £1000

What country will you be buying this in?
UK

What size notebook do you prefer?
Desktop Replacement (17-inch screen, not larger though)

Would you consider a refurbished laptop?
Maybe

What are the primary tasks you need this notebook for?
Web Surfing, Computer Programming, Casual Gaming, Graphic Intense 3D Gaming

What games will you be playing?
Less gaming, rather developing 3D applications, therefore a dedicated graphics card like a GT650M is required.

Where will you be using this laptop?
Will stay on desk

How many hours of battery life do you need?
3

Will you be buying online or in store?
online

Which OS do you prefer?
Windows 7

List the screen resolutions that interest you:
High Resolution (1600 x 900)
Max Resolution (1920 x 1080)

Do you prefer a glossy or matte screen?
Glossy or Matte is fine

Is the laptops design important to you?
No

Approximately what date will you be buying this laptop?
Around 10/05/2012

How long do you want this laptop to last?
4 years

How much storage capacity do you need?
250 GB

Are you interested in SSD for storage?
Maybe

Do you want a built-in optical drive, what type?
No

The main use cases are software development, especially 3D applications.
Discrete graphics is a must, I would prefer a fast NVIDIA Kepler based card (GT650M looks good so far).

[Andrew Baxter]

I'd definitely recommend something that has a matte screen for your needs, staring at a screen for hours and doing programming can be a real strain on the eyes with a glossy screen. I think the HP ENVY 15 could be a fit for your needs with the 1920 x 1080 screen, the lesser expensive HP Pavilion dv6t-7000 might also be good with its 1920 x 1080 screen and Nvidia 650M graphics. The Sager NP9150 could also be of interest. If you're looking for a more durable business laptop with performance graphics you'd probably have to step up the budget to get something like a Dell Precision M6700 which would certainly be a nice option. If you're on a desk and just looking for performance I think a premium consumer model is just fine though.

[MrDJ]

take a look at the uk clevo resellers (i recommend mySN) Clevo Resellers in the European Union -V1

[Superb2]

Hi,
i don't know what it will differ to be in £ or $ But Lenovo W530 Has a nice Features for your needs

[Marco-we]

Thanks a lot for the recommendations!
I just had a good look at the various laptops at PC World and decided that I should definitely go for a 17" screen.
It doesn't have to be very portable as I am not coding on the go and rarely take it out of the house.
The basic config should at least have 8GB RAM (or extensible so I can put in more myself) and a fast hard disk.
A SSD is not a requirement but nice to have.

[Marco-we]

Something like the Dell Inspiron 17R SE 7720 looks quite suitable for my needs.
Does anyone have recommendations for similar notebooks?
Thanks!