Hey everybody,

I'm hoping that somebody out there can help me find a comparable replacement for my current laptop at a relatively inexpensive price. Unfornately the graphics card on it recently broken down at a very inopportune time (...right before school starts) , as described in the following thread: Kernal Mode Exception Not Handled/Video TDR Error I can't really afford the cost to repair it, though I am open to suggestions on fixing the laptop if you have any.

On to the main point: I bought this laptop about 4 years ago for a bit over 1000$. Here are the main stats:

Dell Inspiron 1520
Vista :: Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT
Intel Core Duo 1.5 GHz :: 2046 MB RAM
160 Gig Harddrive

I'm hoping to avoid spending too much over 500$. At this time, is possible to buy a new laptop with equivalent or better stats and avoid exceeding this limit? What laptops do you all suggest? I need something that is good for school (documents, presentations, pictures, video lectures), but it would be nice to have some room for entertainment on the side (HD videos and a minor amount of gaming).

I am also looking for something that is more durable than my Dell. I think that the major reason my laptop broke down was due to overheating. The fans never seemed incredibly effective compared to my friends' laptops. Toshiba's seem pretty good when it comes to dealing with heat.

I appreciate any suggestions. Thank you very much.