i7-Q820QM, 8GB DDR3, ATI 1GB display, Blu-ray drive, back-light kayboard, 9-cell battery, etc.. for just ~$1200 (Tax included).
The best thing is, this laptop has two HD bays, so you can put a small (cheap) HD in the 1st bay for installing the OS, while just put a like 7200RPM large HD in the 2nd bay for storage. This way, you can get the benefits of fast system response and large disk storage space.
Note, if you really want to speed up your computer, better reinstall the OS (reformat the disk) after you get the system. This way you can remove all the junk softwares dell pre-installed.