For gaming, I would recommend this ASUS ROG Strix G16 because it comes with i7-13650HX CPU which is one of the best in your budget and great for your usage, 32GB of RAM for smooth multitasking, Good SSD storage of 2TB for faster boot up and loading, 16 WUXGA IPS 165Hz screen which is a must have for this price range, it comes with RTX 4060 GPU, and high build quality.

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Since you prioritise performance, and you are open to a bigger screen size, I would recommend this ASUS ROG Strix G16 because it comes with i7-13650HX CPU which is one of the best in your budget and great for your usage, 32GB of RAM for smooth multitasking, Good SSD storage of 2TB for faster boot up and loading, 16 WUXGA IPS 165Hz screen which is a must have for this price range, it comes with RTX 4060 GPU, and high build quality.

Please note this is a U.S amazon link, if you click it from outside of US, you might be redirected to your country’s local Amazon. Please double check the name of the model and the specs mentioned in my comment

Please note I'm using affiliate links which means I'll receive a small percent of the purchase if you use this link at no extra cost to you