If you're considering purchasing a new laptop, specifically for games, there are two key factors you need to take into recognition. Do you want portability or performance? I personally prefer portability over performance because I like to take the laptop around with me wherever I go. I don't want to haul around a massive, bulky piece of equipment.

On average, 17inch screen sized laptops and up are the biggest. They're large, bulky, and very heavy. They're essential desktop replacements, only twice the price. Currently, I own a Alienware M14x and until just recently, a Asus G73JH-A1. The G73 was a far superior laptop to my Alienware, yet I'd take my M14x over the Asus any day.

Why? Better build quality, a "cooler" design; it isn't just one big blob of black. The laptop also weighs far less than the G73, which was a major bonus for me since I like to take the beast around with me almost everywhere.

In terms of Performance, the M14x was almost on par in maxing out graphical capabilities in games, yet the resolution for the screen is in 900p versus 1080p. Yet I'd take portability over a 1080p screen any day.

Shopping for a 17 inch laptop?

Clevo P270WM

This 12-pound monster can now be equipped with a hexa-core, Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition, up to 32 GB of quad-channel DDR3 RAM, dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 580M GPUs in SLI, and three hard drives or SSDs in RAID 0, 1 or 5. If you're after portability, this is not the guy you'll want to go chasing down. This is a heavy and bulky laptop, yet is the perfect fit for anyone who wants to game in the hotel on a trip or in various different rooms around the house.

ASUS G74Sx Republic of Gamers

The Asus G74 is perhaps one of the most coolest (temperature wise) and less bulkiest laptops in it's class. It's also very inexpensive when compared to the other laptops with the same specs. It packs a GTX 560M GPU from Nvidia, an Nvidia 3D Vision kit and a compatible 120Hz panel that runs in either 1920×1080 Full HD or 1600×900 panels depending upon your configuration. The base model starts at $1399.

Alienware M17x

Though not the cheapest route, if you're looking for a good, quality built laptop that will also support future upgradable components then this is the route to go. Currently, the system sports a dual GTX 580 configuration, 16 GB of RAM, various quad-core Core i7 processors, 1600×900 or 1920×1080 panels and dual hard drives or SSDs in RAID 0, and a 3D compatible panel. The base model starts at $1499.

Shopping for a sub 15.6 inch laptop?

Alienware M14x

Perfect in terms of portability and performance, this small, yet devastatingly powerful laptop will grind through almost anything you throw at it. The device is packed with a number of different 2nd-generation quad-core Core i7 CPUs an Nvidia GeForce GT 555M with either 1.5GB or 3GB of video RAM, a 1600×900 WLED panel and 1600MHz RAM.

Asus G53SX

Think of this laptop as just another iteration of the G74, just sized down to a 15 inch size. The laptop is bulky and is as heavy as a brick, but if you hapen to be looking for a smaller G74, here's the perfect match. This laptop ships with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 560M, a 1080p display, a quad-core Intel CPU, and various different memory configurations.

Clevo P150HM

If configured correctly, this beast is easily the fastest laptop in the 15inch market. Maxed out, this mammoth of a "laptop" comes with either a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M or the AMD Radeon HD 6990M and also a quad-core Intel CPU all the way up to the Core i7-2920XM Extreme Edition and 32 GB of RAM