Suitable laptop for video editing

Hello,
for months now I am looking for a suitable laptop for video editing of  my footage captured by Canon 60D (and also GoPro). Since it is in a HD quality and h.264  format it puts a great strain on the CPU. I already had to return an  ASUS U30J and Dell XPS14 both with i7 processors because of their  terribly slow performance :(. So now, I really want to be 100% sure that  the laptop will be able to smoothly handle my footage. I am using Adobe  Premiere Pro CS5 for video editing and I do need a laptop (preferably 15'')  as I travel all the time.
Here are the specifications of the Force 16F2 laptop built on MSI 16F2 (from the xoticpc.com), which I have chosen so far:
FORCE 16F2 / MSI 16F2
-  15.6” FHD 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1920x1080) Super Clear Glare Type Screen
-  2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2720QM, 2.2-3.3GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache)
-  IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU (Cools better than all Compounds)
-  nVidia GeForce GTX 560M 1,536MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
-  12,288MB (12GB) DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (2x4GB 2x2GB)-
-  Standard Finish
-  - 500GB (w/ 4GB SSD Memory) Seagate XT 7200RPM NCQ Hybrid 32MB Cache (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)-   or 750GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)--
- 750GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)-
-  Raid 0  Stripe Enabled (Requires 2 or 3 Hard Drives. Combines Hard Drives for performance)
-  500GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) in ODD Bay
-  3 Year Complete Care Warranty - 3 Year Parts with Ground Shipping, 24/7 Telephone Tech Support & Lifetime Labor Warranty
I would like to ask you what do you think about this configuration  regarding my requirements? Will this system be powerful enough to handle  the h.264 footage? I would like to use both the SLR camera and the laptop as long as possible and don't have to change the laptop in one year time or so. That's why I would like the system to be powerful enough to withstand even future demands of the software, etc.
I was also not sure about the 500GB (w/ 4GB SSD Memory) Seagate XT 7200RPM NCQ Hybrid 32MB Cache (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s. Do you think it is a smart choice? Is the 4GB SSD memory of any use? Or should I rather go with the 750GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)?
I don't have any previous experience with the raid system, do you think that the Raid 0  Stripe Enabled (Requires 2 or 3 Hard Drives. Combines Hard Drives for performance) is the right choice for smooth video editing? I know that I have to use at least 2 hard drives so that's why I'd rather order 3 HDD to get the best performance..
This configuration is worth 1800USD, I would obviously like to save some  money as I will need to pay also the shipping costs, tax and duty (I  currently live in New Delhi)... So if you think that something from the  system might be downgraded and I would still get good video editing  results, please let me know.
Do you think that the 3 Year Complete Care Warranty - 3 Year Parts with Ground Shipping, 24/7 Telephone Tech Support & Lifetime Labor Warranty is of any use when I am not from the US? Should I rather go with the 1 Year warranty?
I would very much appreciate any feedback from you!
Misha

Frederick, I will firstly answer your questions, I am in no way a pro video editor, my projects are up to 10MB of size although I wasn't yet able to edit the h.264 footage properly ... I mostly do events and quite simple projects, effects, two to three timelines... I use only h.264, my older projects are in DV quality thought. I usually have to rush to finish a project since I have limited time during the travels.. I usually work at one, maximum two projects at the same time
Now, I have been trying to figure out what would be the best configuration for me and ended up with these two options, which are touching (maybe even overflowing) my budget... Both are worth around USD2100 (without shipping, etc.). Either I  will be going for one SSD disk for the OS or for maximum CPU and RAM.  Which configuration would you recommend me? Do you think that the second configuration is an overkill when taken into account the size and scope of my projects?
With SSD disk:
FORCE 16F2 / MSI 16F2
-  15.6” FHD 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1920x1080) Super Clear Matte Type Screen
-  2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2720QM, 2.2-3.3GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache)
-  IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU (Cools better than all Compounds)
-  nVidia GeForce GTX 560M 1,536MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
-  10,240MB (10GB) DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (1x4GB 3x2GB)
-  Standard Finish
-  - 120GB OCZ Vertex 3 MAX IOPS Sandforce Solid State Drive (Up to Sequential Read 550MB/s - Write 500MB/s SSD Serial-ATA III)
-  - 750GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)-
-  HDD Raid Settings - OFF
-  320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) in ODD Bay
-  3 Year Complete Care Warranty - 3 Year Parts with Ground Shipping, 24/7 Telephone Tech Support & Lifetime Labor Warranty
With better CPU and RAM:
FORCE 16F2 / MSI 16F2
-  15.6” FHD 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1920x1080) Super Clear Matte Type Screen
-  2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2820QM, 2.3-3.4GHz, (32nm, 8MB L3 cache)
-  IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU (Cools better than all Compounds)
-  nVidia GeForce GTX 560M 1,536MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
-  16,384MB (16GB) DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (4x4GB)-SPECIAL
-  Standard Finish
-  - 750GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)-
-  - 750GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)-
-  HDD Raid Settings - OFF
-  320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) in ODD Bay
-  Stock OEM Thermal Compound (       IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU Provided FREE with Processor Upgrade!)
-  Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
-  Internal Bluetooth + EDR
-  Built-in 802.11 Wireless B/G/N - Stock Wireless Card
-  Integrated Digital Video Camera
-  Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
-  Smart Li-ion Battery (9-Cell)
-  3 Year Complete Care Warranty - 3 Year Parts with Ground Shipping, 24/7 Telephone Tech Support & Lifetime Labor Warranty
Frederick, regarding the RAM I checked the 8GB option and it comes in 2GBx4 so I won't be able to save those slots. Plus I have been searching for prices of the RAM, HDD and SSD in the US and they don't seem to be that great for me to even consider them... I would simply have to pay more and would end up with unused parts from the basic configuration. I think that the Xoticpc have quite reasonable prices of the upgrades they offer... Plus I can count on higher prices of the components here in India so all in all I think that it would cost me too much energy and save me minimum bucks...  That's why I thought I might go for the 16GB RAM straight away if it isn't an overkill for me. As I said before, I would love to save money (after all I am a woman   who controls the common budget) so please let me  know, if I am just wasting money for high end technology which I won't be able to use . I rather think that in the future once I will finally be able to make  some money when I will have a machine to work on, I might upgrade to  better hard drives (SSD possibly). But right now I need a laptop on  which I would be able to smoothly edit the HD h.264 footage.
Thank you very much for your help!

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    krakers wrote:
    Hello People
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    a.
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    There is one advantage with having a track for video expanded rather than collapsed. One can see what one has already put on the timeline without moving the cursor. If one waits until the computer has generated pictures on the timeline.
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    Message was edited by: Samsara

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    Studio X wrote:
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    I do plan on using this computer professionally. I am a recent college graduate but do have professional FCS editing experience under my belt. However my work was done using both school and employer resources. I do have an archive of work in Mini DV(HDV) and AVCHD formats. I don't currently own an HD camera, however will likely be purchasing one in the near future. As far as externally monitoring HD material, what else would I need other than the 24" external monitor (perfectly capable of full HD) or a separate HDTV? In addition to several older usb2 external drives for backup I do have a 1TB 7200rpm external capable of FW800 and eSATA that I would use as a media drive.
    I currently have an old 17" dell notebook with a glossy screen. The screen hasn't really bothered me, but the size and weight of the notebook has. And while the 17" MBP is a little lighter and smaller than my old dell, I would still prefer a 13" or 15". But from the opinions I've been hearing I'm steering away from the 13" and fully realize the downsides to the lack of ExpressCard slot in the current 15" as well. Still wondering while Apple decided to remove it.
    MartinR wrote:
    If budget is a primary constraint, then consider a refurbished 15" or 17" MBP from Apple, or a used MBP from a reputable supplier.
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    Top end 15" antiglare is perfect.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X0wo6dIsMU
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  • Best Monitors for Video editing?

    Hey guys. I'm looking at an NEC monitor for editing my stills, and am wondering if this will be suitable for video editing?
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    http://www.necdisplay.com/p/desktop-monitors/pa242w-bk
    http://www.necdisplay.com/p/desktop-monitors/pa271w-bk
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    Cheers,
                 Ben

    Hey Fuzzy, sorry about the format of this reply. Not sure to quote on here the way you did. Your points are addressed numerically.
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    This page has nothing: http://www.necdisplay.com/p/desktop-monitors/pa271w-bk
    The incedibly detailed marketing PDF here: http://www.nec-display-solutions.com/p/download/pr/File/cp/Products/LCD/Shared/Brochures/P DF-PASeries.pdf?fn=PASeries.pdf actually contains the phrase "A range of Professional Desktop Displays that are ideal for users in the Photography and Media, Architecture, Engineering, Industrial Design and Precision CAD fields. " (No mention of Video, although it is the first NEC document mentioning "Built in Rec-BT709")
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    3. Got it, thanks.
    4. I think I get that. I'll read the article. But... do these NEC monitors comply?

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    AppleBrianJones wrote:
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