Which laptop is the best value?

[gfloridafan93]

I am looking for a laptop that will run RTS games such as Anno 2070 and World in Conflict on mid-high settings. I have my mind set on two, but I do not know which one is a better value.

The first one is an HP Pavilion dv6-6c53nr ($799)
The second one is a custom built HP dv6 quad core ($1000)

The $1000 model has a 2GB GeForce GT 650 instead of 1 GB Radeon HD 7690. It also has an intel i7-3610QM instead of an i5-2450M processor. Finally the $1000 model has 8GB of memory insead of 6, and it comes with a Blu-ray Drive. Which one would you say is the better value?

 

[game junky]

If it were me, I would select the custom spec'd laptop:
-I prefer Nvidia over AMD - I would rather be using a 650
-The processor is a fairly distinctive upgrade
-You won't really notice the difference between 6 & 8 GB of ram unless you're doing graphic design or CAD on that laptop - for gaming, it will behaving identically
-bluray is a nice touch - I am a moving fanatic and have a disturbing collection of blurays. Bear in mind, this will be a battery drain when watching a film on the go.

That being said, I am not a huge HP fan - I would look at an ASUS for price or a Dell for comparable customization and support.

The ASUS G55VW is more expensive but it uses a 660, guessing you would spend $1200:

Dell's XPS 15 is still using 2nd gen i7s and the Nvidia 500 Series. If this isn't something you need immediately, I would give it a month to upgrade their configs to incorporate the new GPU/CPUs. They're still the best combination of service and hardware. I custom-build my desktops, but I just spec through Dell for laptops for customers because their hardware support is sufficient.

That's my two bits...
http/usa.asus.com/Notebooks/Gaming_Powerhouse/G55VW/#specifications