alienware/dell fall in the higher price range.
am looking at hp with same specs and almost one third times cheaper.

anyway we are looking at something like 20-40% price drop in laptops within a year. probably the time vista comes out. till that time we will have to max out on the ones we have.

reducing more res, i reached 63.94fps

found two things through google
1) ati and nvidia, both have some beta drivers for half life 2
2) there is a patch available from counter strike and half life people for smoother online games

maybe this might help