Laptop advice for total noob?

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:

Italy ~2500

• Are you open to refurbs/used?

No.

• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

Performance > Build quality > Battery life

• How important is weight and thinness to you?

It isn’t a top priority, but I’d prefer something not too heavy or bulky. I wouldn’t skip a great laptop over that, though.

• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

15.6-inch

• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

I’ll mainly use it for coding and gaming. I play a lot of simulation and management games but I also want it to handle modern AAA titles smoothly.

• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

I’d like consistent 60+ FPS in modern AAA games and higher (100–144 FPS) in lighter titles like RimWorld, Factorio, Oxygen Not Included, etc…

• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

Reliable build quality

• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.

I prefer a minimal, clean design, but feel free to suggest laptops with bold or unconventional looks if they’re a good overall fit.

Thanks in advance to everyone for the suggestions!