The 120hz screen and 512 GB SSD RAID 0 is why it will be over $4,000, as well as some accessories and the GPU. But I may just purchase a 512 GB SSD aftermarket from Amazon.com.
Keep in mind in RAID mode the TRIM command function for SSDs doesn't work which means the SSD will slow down even more. Look at this quick review to see that RAIDed SSDs suffer a lot because of not being to use TRIM over time as they are used:
http://techreport.com/articles.x/22358/6
I guess if you are going to install that many games at once it could get very expensive if you want to store all of them on one large SSD. The prices of SSDs drop significantly every single year though. 128-256GB is the sweet spot right now with 512GB drives still being very expensive ($400-600). By fall when you are ready to buy, prices should drop even more.
For now
$210 256GB Crucial M4 or similar looks good and you can use the mechanical drive as additional store. Not sure if that laptop has spaces for 2 hard drives but I would imagine it does. Then you could load the most recent games you play on that 256GB SSD and keep movies, music and pictures on the mechanical drive that comes free with the laptop.
But I mean it's totally your choice.
I'm just reading a lot of benchmarks on the 690 for desktop and it's amazingly better than the 680 for desktop, so I'm worried if they release the 690m soon, I'll see the same results.
Yes, that's because GTX690 = GTX680 x 2. It's just 2x 680s on 1 card. So if you get a laptop with GTX680 SLI, that's the same idea. (the GTX680M version is not as fast as GTX680 desktop version though).
Because GTX690 is 2 GPUs, that's why it's so much faster. Since NV will surely sell GTX680 SLI for laptops, I have a feeling the GTX690M version will be a single-gpu with just higher specifications/clock speeds. Of course that's just a guess.
But look at this link again:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html
See how HD7970 M and GTX680 M are faster than 2x previous generation high-end cards: HD6970/6990 M Crossfire or GTX580M SLI?
That's what I am saying that in 2-3 years there will be a new mobile GPU as fast as GTX690M so no point in worrying about waiting for 690M since NV will release Maxwell architecture to replace Kepler (GTX600/700) series in 2014 or so. You'll have plenty of time to upgrade your GPU. Your laptop won't be "outdated".
See how right now you can buy standalone GPU upgrades for laptops:
HD6970M for
$329
HD7970M for
$700
If NV launches GTX690M or there are GTX680 SLI laptop options, you could always consider those later in the fall, or the surely much cheaper and just as fast HD7970 M Cross-fire since high-end AMD mobile GPUs always cost less.
But even if you don't, you don't need to worry that your laptop is "outdated" even if you just buy it with 1 GPU today since you'll be able to buy a standalone upgrade for it down the line. If you want 3D Vision / 3D gaming though, then I would recommend the NV setup.
BTW, you can already get "GTX690M" performance in a laptop because Alienware sells
Dual GTX680M in SLI, starting at
$3,099 in their 18x line.
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