I'm planning to buy a new laptop, can anyone recommend a specific brand that is very good (aside from apple)?

i don't know any with those particular specs, but i know that you can customize a dell. i'm a bit biased toward them, they are pretty reliable. i would suggest the Studio series, maby XPS, but you said mainly work related stuff. for work, i would suggest the studio, its a mix between work and gaming. they are quite fast, and work great. if you are really looking for performance, then definately XPS, but they are expensive. good luck!