yes.
most games should be well playable.
It should handle quite nicely. The processor is clocked at 2.2GHz, but you can turbo boost to 3.1GHz. To do that, I think you'll have to disable a few of the cores through the BIOS. The GPU should be good for playing Dolphin in HD. Like DefenderX said, most games will run fine. Though, some of the most demanding games (e.g. Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2) won't reach full-speed.
what about super smash bros brawl?
I think DefenderX would have a better idea than I do, given that he's got a decent laptop with the same processor that you want, but judging from what others have said, you should be able to get full-speed. Dunno if you'll keep full-speed when you start adding more players though. SSBB has been tested a lot; check out the wiki entry
here to see the specs others have tried on it.
At 1x on a sandy bridge@3.1, it will zoom through 4 player ssbb. I get 45 fps in ssbb 4-player, and you have superior architecture and higher clock speed.
With this CPU i can play nearly all my games @ fullspeed. Except Super Mario Galaxy 1+2 and Metroid Prime Trilogy. Anyway, this games are playable too. (Metroid Prime 45-55 FPS, Super Mario Galaxy 1+2 40-50 FPS). With the right settings and an ICC optimized Dolphin build, of course
My nVIDIA GeForce GT 540M can handle an IR of 2.5x (3x in some games). In Metroid Prime, i have to use 2x. As your GPU is better than mine, you should be able to use an IR of 3x in every game. (maybe 4x, you have to test it).
Anyway, this Notebook will be almost perfect
If your still haven't pulled the trigger on that expensive Asus I would advise you to take a look at maybe xoticpc.com that have that model cheaper, and with hardware customization to your liking. The most cost efficient upgrade would be Cpu from i7 2670 to i7 2760 which will net you a respectable fps boost on demanding games. If you want a significantly cheaper yet vastly superior laptop take a look at the 17 Inch Msi Branded Model Gt780DX-406US
http://www.xoticpc.com/msi-gt780dx406us-...figure=yes.