ASUS g73 or...?

G73 is better in specifications, but XPS are always better in build quality, You can also consider Sager in your list.
There are diff models of G73, if you want best bang for the buck then go with
http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-g73jwxr1-republic-gamers-la...

the cheapest price is still around $1500, eh?

dang.

bump

Well I would recommend the G73. I have the G72 and the build quality is great, performance is outstanding and the price for what I got in a gaming laptop was hard to beat. I play WoW on ultra settings with 8x AA & audio settings maxed as well and I'm getting 60FPS in SW (even after last nights Cataclysm launch). Don't know what sort of gaming that you do but Assassin's Creed plays maxed on it as well. The G73 should easily outperform my G72 (Core 2 Duo @ 2.88GHz, 6gb ddr2, 1gb GeForce GTX 260M)

If you need something cheaper,have a look at Sager NP8690

What games are you looking to play?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=E... - $1549


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... - $1199 with rebate


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... - $1099