4 years old Inspiron 6400... time for a change

So my trusty Inspiron is showing signs of being old.
While it is still very good for basic tasks, I'm getting troubles rendering 3D stuff and there are games I'd love to play but which I cannot.
With the holiday season coming near, I turn to you to get some feedback as to what machine would suit me best.

General Questions

1) What is your budget?

1500 Euros-ish

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

d.
Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
or
e.
Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen

It really depends on portability tbh.

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.

In Belgium (could not find the flag...).

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

a.
Like: Dell
b.
Dislike: Compaq, IBM/Lenovo

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?

Probably.

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?

Using it at work for research (mainly on the Internet), games when at home (but not all that often), learning 3D and rendering scenes, watching films (DVD or Blue Rays).

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?

Both.

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?

Yes.
Can range from FPS like CoD MW2 to RTS like Starcraft or racing games like the NFS series.

9) How many hours of battery life do you need?

Ideally, over 3 hours.

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?

Depends.
I like seeing the notebook but I also tend to do a lot of research on a model I might buy.
This is what I did for my current Inspiron and it lasted me for 4 years now.


11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista or Windows 7), Mac OS, Linux, etc.

Windows 7

Screen Specifics

12) From the choices below, what screen resolution(s) would you prefer? Keep in mind screen size in conjunction with resolution will play a large role in overall viewing comfort level.
Everyone is different.
Some like really small text, while others like their text big and easy to read.
If you are unsure of what to purchase, we would highly recommend you check some notebook screens before you buy to see what you like.
You may also wish to take a look at the notebook screen guide for more information.

Maximum Resolutions: WSXGA+, WUXGA, FHD, 1080p
Actual resolutions: 1680x1050, 1920x1200 and 1920x1080
Offered on Notebook 15" and larger

I would like to be able to watch Blue Rays on that computer so I'd opt for a 1920x1080 screen.

13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?

Glossy would be nice but reflective is fine too, depending on the screen quality/

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

Yes and no.
I like to have a nice sturdy feel to a laptop.
Style is nice, but not when it feels it will break at the first small bump.

15) When are you buying this laptop?

Hopefully within a month or two.

16) How long do you want this laptop to last?

Minimum 4 years, like my current one.

Notebook Components

17) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 640GB? Do you want a SSD drive?

500 Gb is enough for my usage.
SSD not my cup of tea atm, too pricey.

18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?

Yeah, a Blue Ray drive.

================

There we go.
As a last point, the warranty and customer service of the laptop will play a big deal in my choice.
I've had to use it a few times on my current machine and it always gave me full satisfaction

Thanks in advance for the help!

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