Well I think apple macbooks is a good choice for you, they are good for graphic design. And recently there is a coupon for the macbook start from $1099. I think you can go and have a look there.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like those MacBooks are quite fit enough for 3DSMax and AutoCAD. They have good CPUs and RAM, but they have a slow hard drive (5400 RPM) and run integrated graphics. Like, it'll still /work/, but you'll be rendering really slowly, and in AutoCAD, trying to rotate a view will look like a slideshow.
Apparently the Gateway P-6831FX sometimes drops that low in price, and it has a powerful graphics card, but in return, it has a slower CPU and a crappier screen...
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