Ok, first things first. Between a desktop and a laptop (even with slightly better performance), i would have gone with the desktop 100%. Especially when the laptop has a HP upon it (i don't like this brand at all!!!).
Let's go to the main issue:
Here's my 12 year old cpu:
Intel® Core™ i7-975 Processor Extreme Edition (8M Cache, 3.33 GHz, 6.40 GT/s Intel® QPI) Product Specifications
and here is the cpu that Dell has:
Intel® Core™ i5-3470 Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.60 GHz) Product Specifications
Apart the fact that is 3 years newer....mine is at 45 nm and this one at 22 nm. The performance should be, if not the same, quite identical. If it was me, i would have gone with the desktop (i trust Dell as a company) cause there's a certain issue underrated with games: Temperatures.
No laptop can compared with a desktop in air flow management and in overall temperatures. So, if you just add another ~100-120 dollars for a very decent card (Nvidia or AMD), your machine should be pretty fine and without any problems whatsoever for this game. I repeat....for this game!!!
Gary, as you know, many components (talking about their durability) of the PC is somehow left to luck, or better to non luck. I presume you were one of the unlucky ones cause if the the mobo dies, the whole machine is gone.
The only thing that bugs me on amazon's description is the lack of the mobo type and brand. Other than that, i repeat, i use an older cpu with an 570 AMD GPU and i can play, stream, recording just fine with no problems whatsoever.
And one last thing....we are talking about a refurbished machine not new. That involves some risk either way for the buyer.