Build or buy alienware 17 for gaming and architecture ($1500)

[Iamnerner]

Hi guys. I am looking to buy an alienware 17 for about $1500, but I was referred to this site by a friend so that I could see if I would be able to build one for around the same price but with better qualities. This laptop will be for college(architecture) and gaming. I went to PCpartpicker but i didn't know where to start. This is where i could use some serious help. So here I go.
I am the type of person who will spend all night gaming. I really need something that will last for years to come. I know that I will need an i7 processor for architectural purposes. Here is a list of games I'll be playing:
Thief(the upcoming one)
Dying light
Batman arkham origins
Half life 2/ counterstrike/ gmod
Amnesia dark descent
Watchdogs

I would greatly appreciate any help.

 

[Fitzitz]

I would just build a pc if it going to be used mainly for gaming

 

[Fitzitz]

(Main parts you want are i7 for architecture work, 16/32gb ram 1600mhz for same reason, gtx 770 for gaming and decent 850 watt psu for upgrade ability. Anything else is up to you)

 

[kylerjobe]

Building will always get you much more bang for your buck. An Alienware 17 will certainly suit your needs, but you need to make sure the exact 17 you are getting for $1500 will have a good GPU in it. A GTX 780M is needed to play most games on high-ish settings with frame rates of about 60. For $1500, you can build a desktop capable of running all of your mentioned games on maximum settings with 60-100 fps. That PC would also be an amazing workstation for your architecture. However, $1500 can also pay for a laptop that has about 3/4 of the performance. You will have to decide if you want to be stuck with an immobile, top of the line gaming PC, or a mobile, medium-quality Alienware 17.

I hope I have helped you a little