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Ideally you should tell us which specific laptop you’re considering. The GPU is good, but there’s more to the whole decision process.

Based on the specific wording used to represent the spec in your title, I’m willing to bet that the laptop you’re looking at is the Alienware M14x. Now, regarding the Alienware M14x, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind.

1. If you’re going to buy the Alienware M14x, you need to make sure that you buy it in a configuration that includes the upgraded 1600×900 display, and not the default 1366×768 display. The Alienware M14x’s default 1366×768 display makes things onscreen large, doesn’t let you fit much onscreen, and is a low-grade LCD panel with very poor image quality due to low contrast. The upgraded 1600×900 display, on the other hand, lets you fit a bit more onscreen, and is a decent quality LCD panel with good contrast, but the reason you need to ensure that you have the better of the two displays isn’t just because of how good the 1600×900 display is, it’s also because of how bad the 1366×768 display is.

2. Do not upgrade the GPU. Leave it at the stock 1GB option. There is no difference between the two GPU options aside from the extra memory in the more expensive one. 1GB of memory is plenty for a GPU of this level, and $150 is more or less a waste for this upgrade. The only reason Dell/Alienware offers this upgrade is because of the general notion supported by manufacturers, resellers, and resellers for dishonest marketing purposes, that video memory is indicative of how good a GPU is. The notion to look for a “2GB GPU” because it’ll be better than a “1GB GPU”. Really, video memory isn’t a concern, because most GPUs come with plenty of memory such that the memory isn’t going to be the bottleneck. And as further evidence against the notion, note that a 1GB GT 650M is significantly faster than a 2GB GT 630M.

3. Processor: The i5-3230M should be more than enough for much of gaming. Gaming is primarily GPU-bound. If you were to upgrade the processor, then nothing further than the i7-3630QM would really be a sensible upgrade.

Here’s a link to the M14x configuration page. 1600×900 upgrade should already be selected due to added argument in the URL.
– http://configure.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=nam14x2_f_1e&model_id=alienware-m14x-r2&m_5=HD16WB

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But, you can get an even better GPU (GT 750M) and even better display (15.6″ 1920×1080) at the same time, with the Lenovo IdeaPad Y500:
– http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/webca/LenovoPortal/en_CA/config.workflow:ConfigureMtmAsItem?mtm-item=:000001CA:000033A7:&category-id=E9A8C337FA7284328C5C21BDE242DF56 ($739)
– http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/webca/LenovoPortal/en_CA/config.workflow:ConfigureMtmAsItem?mtm-item=:000001CA:000033A3:&category-id=E9A8C337FA7284328C5C21BDE242DF56 ($869 – bumps HDD/CPU)
– http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/webca/LenovoPortal/en_CA/config.workflow:ConfigureMtmAsItem?mtm-item=:000001CA:000033A2:&category-id=E9A8C337FA7284328C5C21BDE242DF56 ($899 – adds mSSD cache)

Or, the SLI model of the Y500 — Two GT 750M GPUs working together, but no CD/DVD drive because second GPU takes up ultrabay.
– http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/webca/LenovoPortal/en_CA/config.workflow:ConfigureMtmAsItem?mtm-item=:000001CA:000033A6:&category-id=E9A8C337FA7284328C5C21BDE242DF56 ($1239)

….Or, the MSI GX60 — Essentially the fastest GPU you can get for the price, and probably the best *overall* game performance. Though, in a handful of more CPU-intensive games, the A10-4600M CPU may bottleneck.
– http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152372&Tpk=gx60&IsVirtualParent=1

Also, note: The Y500 is lighter than the M14x, despite the larger screen size. The M14x is heavier than most 15.6″ laptops, though the MSI GX60 weighs in a bit heavier than the M14x.

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