i remember calling stevo in october of 2007 asking why my computer wouldn't recognize my brand-new 300gb seagate hard drive. two months later i did my first 1500$ build, and three months after that i hit twenty systems built. what a joke =)
i7s are fucking gorgeous, particularly for what you'd need. spend the cash for the good mobo and the zalman zm650 (i think that's what i have, it's a 650w psu with the guts to put out 750w on occasions and 700w consistently without really straining, and it's an 80+ certified brick...virtually identical to the 750w model in design with one less rail) and you're set for a long, long time. i5s are even better, if you don't mind throwing the cash down for a higher clockrate.
i don't know much about lappy graphics cards, but if the m260 is anything like the gtx260 in design, it'll be awesome. i generally don't suggest spending the cash on a gaming laptop since it'll overheat constantly and drain your battery extensively. if you can get one with a discrete graphics card and a lower-level integrated one that you can switch between, that's a good idea because it gives you a ton more options for power management.