Based on my recent search for a laptop with a dedicated graphics card... it seems, that the brick and mortar retailers in the US, are not offering very good options when it comes to moderately priced laptops with dedicated graphics cards... I think the reason is that the Intel 4000 HD graphics is actually a pretty good integrated solution, and to beat it significantly , you have to move up to a fairly powerful GPU, and then you have t add cooling to keep it all cool, etc...
Bottom line, is I personally came the conclusion , that $1000 is about the starting point for a good laptop, with a dedicated graphics card. There are some slightly cheaper, but at some point if you start looking, it seems better just to bite the bullet and buy a $1000+ laptop.
Dell Outlet has refurbished Inspiron 17R special addition models for around $750... but I have yet to see a laptop I felt was worth buying in a local brick and mortar store. I did buy one of he 17R SE Dells for my wife, but I don't like 17" , too big and heavy, so I've been sill searching for my own laptop.