Need a laptop for school and Sims 3

[PaintedStars]

Lately, I have been wanting to come back to playing sims so badly it very much hurts. I used to have an Acer laptop (not sure what the computer was specifically called) and it could play all my games to my happiness. I had all the current The Sims 3 games on it pus Medival, I also had a crap load of CC and mods. All in all it was great until my house and the laptop was destroyed by a tornado. All my sims games were saved but sadly the laptop wasnt so I got an HP (well my parents surprised me with it). When I first started installing sims it told me that my graphics card couldnt handle all of that and I had to turn off the computer and restart it. I gave that laptop to my dad which has left me laptop-less and in need of some The Sims 3.
So basically im looking for a laptop that has a good graphics card and memory space. I was looking at either an Acer or Alienware but I also need a laptop for school. I was looking at an alienware because it is called a great gaming computer (and I play LOADS of other games than just sims) but im worried that when I get into higher grades and we start using technology more (our county is trying to let us have computers/phones as much as possible since thats what 'the world is coming to') that i'll be that kid who cant do anything because she has a gaming-centric laptop...
But really, I just need a laptop that I can put so much sims crap in it (with all the settings turned up high in the game) and it still runs well and I need one that I can do a bit of school work on it.
Also, sorry for making you read all that I just typed. 

[BlondeCupcake]

I would go ahead and the Alienware laptop. And if they think you can't do anything just because you use a gaming laptop, that's their issue. Prove them wrong! It can do anything a "normal laptop can do, after all. Plus I have had a couple of Acers and I can say, from personal experience, they're not that great. Mine barely even runs default settings. I would totally go for the Alienware.

[JSBrantner]

As far as I know saying that a desktop or laptop is a "gaming" computer just means that it has a high-end graphics card, lots of memory and loads of hard drive. There may be other aspects that it has in order to enable it to run games and such at their peak performance like processor speed and such, but it in no way limits it to just games. It just means that while other kids may be complaining that their computers are slow or that programs take forever to load, as kids will do, you will be able to create a PowerPoint presentation while playing Angry Birds and listening to music. 

[BlondeCupcake]

Right, that's my philosophy  So all in all, I think with a gaming laptop you wouldn't have anything to loose. Trust me if I could afford a new laptop Alienware would be one of my first choices, along with a MacBook Pro.