Animation programs help!!!!?

Some questions on specs for a gaming/ 3D animation student's laptop?

• I have a great PC at home that I can do my main 3D animation work & intensive gaming in. But I want to get a laptop that can also be able to run the programs I need since I will be away from home for a summer program. I want this laptop to be portable. I use Autodesk Maya for animation, Photoshop, & other basic programs for students. For gaming, I dont think I will play too much for the newer, graphic intense games; I will leave that for home. I will probably play older games like from early 2000s, But I may want to install 1 or 2 online games like Left 4 Dead 2. Would like some advice on specs for my purpose of the laptop. *****I am not considering a Mac****** 15in vs 17in screen: Although 17 in would be better for my animation projects, I am leaning towards 15 for weight, portability and battery life. I dont plan on doing most of my work on the laptop, just touch ups and putting a few more hours into it. Is there a big difference between 15in and 17in or is it minor? i5 vs i7 processor: is i5 still able to do all what I need or is it better to go for i7? Graphics Card: I dont know too much about graphic cards for laptops. Is GeForce GT series good enough for this? If so, which one? Should I consider GTX or is that too high end that I won't really need something that high? Also, I know I need 4GB+ of RAM. Any other suggestions would help too, thank you.

• Answer:

  i7 2630qm + GTX 560M http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152266&Tpk=gtx%20560m