QUOTE(PF T.J. @ Aug 20 2014, 11:27 PM)
No problems man, I know you want the best for your budget

I didn't recommended Alienware because you will need an even higher budget for similar specs. But then with that money you really do get an awesome machine: heavy, but definitely an awesome gaming machine with great cooling, performance and also after sales service

Asus is definitely out due to Asus Malaysia's very poor after sales services... you definitely don't want to have to deal with them especially when you are using a highend and expensive laptop in which components are even harder to find/source

MSI is pretty good, but warranty service is okay (only). But I suppose the biggest drawback is the upgradibility part, afaik there are many warranty void stickers in MSI gaming notebooks. Unless you know some shop ppl who are willing, and experienced enough to do the upgrades for you, you will probably have to pay a lot more, and do a lot more work (reinstalling Windows onto your SSD etc. if replacing HDD)
Illegear is known for good after sales service (if opted) and of course, customizability. The RE and RS series have damn good cooling as well iinm, please read their reviews on the barebones or equivalent Clevo units for more details (can look in the dedicated Illegear thread). You might want to check on the underlying barebones, but afaik, the RS series are better than RE series; but they are of course, a lot more expensive la haha

Getting the RS means you will have less budget for SSD upgrades = slower performance. But then you could always do the upgrade later on when you have the budget. Talk to
Prince J, he is the expert here, and I'm sure he can advice better
As for 15" and 17", it all depends on whether you need the portability or not... if weight is not an issue at all, then 17" is definitely better- better viewing pleasure + better heat dissipation
My opinion are my own ya

The final choice is up to you
Yeah, i also did not prefer Alienware. and about asus, well let say i am one of the unlucky one. my current laptop is ASUS A55V so i know all about their after sales services.
I really2 appreciate you spending your time with all these explanations and suggestions. Thanks alot, man.