Hey Steelhunter!
This should be perfect for your production/programming needs (http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-17-3-i7-4700HQ-Laptop-Drive/dp/B00DXFF6EO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409089241&sr=8-1&keywords=asus+laptop+i7) - $779.00 + free shipping.
It has an i7-4700HQ, which is one of the best processors in the mobile laptop market, and it has 8GBs of RAM. The only downside is its 17.3" screen, but you should maybe consider it anyways!
Here's a 15.6" ASUS (http://www.amazon.com/X550LA-RI7T27-Touch-Screen-Laptop-Intel-Windows/dp/B00ILNV6C4/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1409089241&sr=8-6&keywords=asus+laptop+i7) and it's well under $800.
It has an i7-4500U, which is dual core Intel processor with a performance comparable to an i5-4200M processor. It's not a quad-core, but it is thinner, lighter, and more portable than the previous ASUS. Lastly, it fits your 15.6" laptop range.
Additionally, this HP Envy is extremely affordable and it has a i7-4700MQ processor as well with a 15.6" screen (http://www.amazon.com/HP-15-j084nr-Intel-i7-4700MQ-Windows/dp/B00J2CGNYE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=8-1&keywords=laptop+i7-4700MQ).
Let me know if you have any questions or would like more suggestions!