Brands to consider:
Clevo/Sager: Customizable and good value laptops.
Asus: Generally higher price than Clevo/Sager systems, but very good build quality and cooling ability.
MSI: A little bulky and not as efficient in cooling as said systems, but very powerful and unique designs.
There are other brands worth looking into as well, such as Gigabyte (Aorus) and Lenovo. We have more experience with said systems listed is all.
Models to look into within your budget:
Clevo P150SM or P170SM, or the W355SSQ or W370SS.
Asus N550JK or G550JK, or the G750 series.
MSI GE series or GX models. Few GT models are within your budget.