I've never looked into gaming laptops, prefer using a desktop. So take this with a grain of salt.
The 1st question would be screen size. If you're willing to use a smaller 15.4 screen you could get something like this.
http://www.alienware.com/products/area-51-...ode=SKU-DEFAULTIt got great reviews last year an only cost $1100
If you want a 17" screen, I would personally recommend looking on ebay for deals on refurbished units.
I've gotten a lot of great deals on refrub computer stuff over the years.