My good ol' 9600GT recently kicked the bucket and I figured it's time I replace my PC, especially with the prospect of holiday specials coming up. I'm hoping to replace it with a 'gaming' laptop. I don't have a rock solid budget yet, but I'm hoping to keep it somewhere in the $1000-$1500 range (maybe a bit higher to hit a sweet spot). So my main question is, is this a good time to splurge on one? Is there anything worth waiting for (CPU/GPU refresh, etc)?
The main use of the laptop is obviously for gaming. It'll most probably be plugged in when I'm using it so battery life isn't a huge concern, although I'd like to be able to squeeze a few hours of normal usage without being tethered down. I also want something with decent build quality.
What I'm less interested in is portability. I've been lugging around several sports bags everywhere I go for the last few years, so I don't think even the bulkiest of laptops will be a problem. That said, I'm not completely sure what size I should be looking for. I'm thinking of 15"-17"?
The other big question is about which brands I should be eyeing. If I do buy a laptop, I'll be buying it from the US and getting a relative to bring it to me (in Sri Lanka), so I REALLY don't want to have it fail on me and be forced to ship it back or anything like that. And no, buying one here really isn't an option because the prices of everything computer related are insanely jacked up