What is a good laptop for running architectural programs?

apples or dells make damn good ones for doing things like that

You're right that gaming laptops are the way to go. However, this doesn't have as much to do with their fast processors, as processors are not the central location for the kind of computation you'll be doing. What you want is a computer with a good GPU (graphics processor). These often come with gaming computers. You will also want something with a high native resolution (you're going to probably be very unhappy with a 1280x800 screen).

Dell recently came out with a new line of "studio" laptops that are centered around design professionals. They have good graphics chips, excellent display options, a bunch of RAM, and are reasonably portable.

I'd consider a Studio 15 with at least 4GB of RAM, the best graphics card available (there is one with 512MB of dedicated video memory) and the highest native resolution available (The "1080p" screen, it has a native resolution of 1920x1080).

Start here: http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetail...

You could probably also go with the Studio 17 which offers a 1920x1200 17" screen, except it won't be quite as portable.

Either way, until someone else shows me a 15" notebook with a 1920x1080 screen option, I think that for all designers and programmers, the Studio 15 should be a serious consideration.

EDIT: As noted by other answerers, you should get a 64-bit operating system if you're going with more than 3GB of RAM.

I wouldn't recommend a particular brand or model because there are so many of them, but you are right saying you need a powerful laptop. Just select one with the most powerful processor and the most RAM you can fit into your budget. Keep in mind that you need a 64-bit Operating System, if you want more than 4GB of RAM.

A 32-bit Operating System can use just over 3 GB of RAM. So make sure you buy a laptop with 64-bit Operating System installed.

relies upon on your CAD app, and what you do with it. at the start, the app will specify the minimum gadget, and pronounced gadget standards. If all your going to charm to are lines, then any basic gadget will do, yet once you would be modeling and rendering you are going to desire a quickly processor, a minimum of two gigs of ram, and a quickly video card with a minimum of 512k of memory.