Laptop Advise + Cyber Monday

[Malconstant]

Looking to get a laptop that:
- Can blow away graphics for moderate gaming (WoW, Skyrim), 1080p.
- Has at least a 256 GB SSD, would prefer 512 GB SSD. 768 GB SSD feels like overkill, but I wouldn't hate it.
- Has a huge screen, 17+ inches, the bigger the better
- With HDMI output and screen sharing
- At least 8 GB RAM, would prefer 24+ GB. I'm a software developer / QA guy and will be pushing this machine to its limits in this respect.
- Strong cooling. I've had problems with this in laptops before, and it only gets worse with powerhouse machines. Are any brands better about this than others?
- Budget is between $1,500 - $2,500. Definitely no more than $3,000, looking for a happy medium closer to $2,000.

I'm very open to advice / rules of thumb for brands / distributors (Dell vs. HP, Alienware, XPS, any good series or brand off-shoot. Am I right in thinking Alienware is in general overpriced, or is that just for their desktops?). I know laptops are less mod-able, so I have to find a company that puts together a solid package that will strike a happy medium.

Any advice on waiting for Black Friday / Cyber Monday, or any other reason to want to wait a few weeks before making a purchase?

You guys are amazing.

[Deleted]

This laptop makes no sense, but well, apart from screen size it matches your needs:
Lenovo IdeaPad y510p.

Also, while Lenovo generally is a good (best if you ask me) brand, I have no idea about that laptop in particular.

[Malconstant]

That one looks good. Though I'm looking for more than 8 GB of SSD, and I also probably could go for a stronger video card. Thanks for the Lenovo tip. I got a Dell laptop a while back, and it's okay, but there have been enough problems with its wireless and the touch pad failing that it's been more frustrating than it needed to be. So it's good to know about reliable manufacturers.

[Deleted]

I think it's actually a hybrid HDD, where it automatically assigns frequently accessed files on the SSD. It works surprisingly well.