With that budget,don't expect to play games at good settings,this Studio 15 would be a good option:
http://configure.us.dell.com/dells [...] WZA2&s=dhs T4300@2.1
3GB RAM
320GB HDD
15" with 1366x768 resolution
Intel X4500M HD (capable of playing games at low settings with low resolutions)
Is an excellent choice,it has a GTX 260M which is pretty good for gaming,i don't think you can't find any laptops under $1000 with GTX 260M except this ASUS model.