re: is there a good gaming laptop that isn't too expensive?

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This is the computer I got him

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Both of the laptops I linked would outperform his desktop in gaming. The $1199 ASUS would beat it pretty significantly, actually. Basically, it's just a matter of whether you're willing to spend more -- the superior graphics card in the ASUS would just add a little more longevity to the machine in general. I've had a much older model ASUS ROG laptop for over 4 years now. I don't use it for gaming, but it will still play games (at low settings) because I invested in the top mobile GPU of the time. I paid about the same for mine as the one I linked.

The Lenovo is also a great value considering the price and would still outperform the GTX 650 in your son's iBuyPower. I can't vouch for Lenovo's build quality in their gaming systems though, since I haven't seen a Lenovo in person in a long time, but I'm sure it's pretty standard. They're assembled by Quanta, who also builds Dells/Alienware, HPs etc. and probably use similar chassis materials. I can definitely vouch for the ASUS's build quality from experience.

I would not advise buying any of the other laptops that have been linked thus far. They're all great for productivity (more emphasis on the CPU), but they have weak GPUs that are mostly meant for a bump in GPU-accelerated encoding/rendering in editing and modeling programs, and maybe some very light gaming. They are not well-focused gaming PCs, though, and they would perform noticeably worse than your son's iBuyPower. (the exception being the other Lenovo Y70s that were linked. They have the same GPU as the Lenovo I linked, though, and there's absolutely no reason to spend more for the bump in the CPU).