im no pro at any of this, just had my experiences when i was looking for a laptop for university. i was like you, wanting a good gaming laptop which could also do all sorts of others...
well for starters, as far as my knowledge goes, alienware laptops are probably the best gaming laptops you could get. however, they're more of a desktop replacement so expect short battery times, heavy and just generally being bulky. if your going to carry this around with you alienware notebooks is a big no-no.
you should think about how much your going to take it around. notebooks are generally either high spec bulky desktop replacements, or low spec light ultra-portables. theres never one which is good in both areas.
i've opted for something in-between, a dell. pritty happy with it, good customer support and prittty good quality.
but like i said, im no pro... just my 2 cents...