Looking for mid range / high end laptop

[Escaep]

I'm leaving for college in about a month and my parents have agreed to buy me a laptop. I would get a new desktop but since I'm going to be living in a dorm I'll need a laptop to bring to class and to bring around campus and I can't have both. My parents haven't really set out a budget but they want something can run my software (Photoshop, After Effects, and 3ds Max) as well as be mobile. Now they won't drop down $3000 for a top of the line laptop but they don't want to get me some piece of junk that does me no good and will be obsolete in a year since it probably needs to last me a good 2-3 years (I'm entering college as a junior + getting my MBA afterwords). I won't be doing much traveling so I'm not concerned with the battery life since if I am gaming it will almost always be plugged in to the wall. So if you guys have any better suggestions for something better for the same price or better and a cheaper price feel free to suggest it.

I'm guessing the budget is probably somewhere between $750-$1000 (593-791 Euros, 498-664 GBP). I would like to have something that I can game with while I have free time. I do a lot of video editing, video rendering, and lots of photoshop work so I probably need a Quad Core processor, 4GB+ DDR3, and a lot of hd space.

These are the two I've looked at so far:

Gateway NV79C47u $799.99

• Intel Core i5 450M(2.4GHz)
• 17.3" Screen @ 1600x900
• 4096MB DDR3 Dual-Channel 1066MHz Memory
• Dedicated ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 1gb
• 500GB 5400 RPM SATA hard drive
• 3 USB Ports

Acer Aspire AS5745G-3690 $769.99

• Intel Core i5 450M(2.4GHz)
• 15.6" Screen @ 1366x768
• 4096MB DDR3 Dual-Channel 1066MHz Memory
• NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M 1gb
• 500GB 5400 RPM SATA hard drive
• 4 USB Ports

The only real difference I can see from these two is are the graphics cards (Gateway Radeon 5750 vs Acer Nvidia GT330m), the number of USB Ports (Gateway 3 vs Acer 4), and the screen size (Gateway 17.3" vs Acer 15.6") The similarities are: Same processor, same hd amount and rpm, and memory.

What I like about the Gateway is it has a nice large screen at 17.3 inches.
What I like about the Acer is it has an extra USB port, its cheaper, and its 2lbs lighter. But I don't like the smaller screen. And which is better, the Mobility Radeon 5650 or the Geforce GT330m?

 

[Dekstar]

from here: http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-330M.22437.0.html
" The modern ATI Radeon HD 5650 offers DirectX 11 effects and performs better [than the gt330m]. "
That's all the help I can give you I'm afraid.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

If you already have a good desktop, bring it for your dorm and get a cheap laptop that gets the necessary job done for mobility among classes.

 

[Escaep]

If you already have a good desktop, bring it for your dorm and get a cheap laptop that gets the necessary job done for mobility among classes.

I would but its a late 2007 model 24" iMac. It can barely do the job for modern games and videos take hours to render.