HP 8540w or Thinkpad W510 for a college student

[Cross-posted in the IBM forums]

Hi everyone, I'm a student who's heading off to college in the fall and am in the market to buy a new laptop. What I need is a combination of power (for gaming, running intensive applications and the like) and mobility/battery life. I thought going with a business-end laptop would be a good fit for this purpose.

As of now I've narrowed it down to two choices: the HP Elitebook 8540w and the Thinkpad W510. I am, however, stuck at a crossroads as to which of these laptops to pick. The reviews for both of these laptops are very similar; both glowing and enthusiastic. However, in addition to sheer performance, price is an issue and I obviously want to keep things as cheap as possible.

Here are the two configurations and prices I have settled on thus far:
8540w:


W510:


The most noticeable difference to me is that, at the same prices the IBM comes with the extended warranty while the HP does not. This is something to consider given that my laptop will probably get beaten up a bit as I lug it around. Otherwise, I have confidence that both these laptops will return similar levels of performance. Right now I am looking for a) the best value and b) the laptop best suited for college.

Any help would be greatly, greatly appreciated

 

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