How much is he planning on spending on a "gaming laptop" and what else does he need a laptop for?
Buy cheap = wont last long and may overwork it.
Buy more expensive and up-to-date hardware = last longer and for future games that require more specs than Skyrim.
Seriously, who the hell says no to Desktops, how old is he ._.
He's 16 he won't listen about just getting a desktop