I have an ASUS something-or-other.

 

I don't like mechanical HDD in modern computers nowadays. You should go with one with an SSD.

A hard drive is probably the biggest bottleneck in terms of performance. It doesn't matter how fast your computer is if your HDD is struggling to keep up. They are significantly more fragile too in a fall scenario. Also the sellers on that page are third-party ones so you'd have to trust they listed things correctly and will take care of you if need be. I guess Amazon can step in if necessary but it would be extra hassle.

This one looks pretty good, and is within budget at $500. https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Touch-Windows-Convertible-SP513-51-55ZR/dp/B01M18YU9I Long wait time at "1 to 2 months" but in my experience Amazon always ships well ahead of schedule on protracted time windows. It's a cover your arse time estimate.

 

I use the Lenovo, has worked fine for me.

 

Here is something about the mid-range laptops http://pc4u.org/best-cheap-gaming-laptop-under-500-dollars/