Maybe it's a local thing, but yes it would have definitely put it over 600$ over here. As you know, you can't just plug in a vid card in a laptop, you need to buy a pre-assembled model that already has a decent card. And over here, those all cost way more than 600$.
And JGZinv, used systems are, of course, an entirely different story. I can't recommend getting a used one to someone who's not very knowledgeable in laptops in the first place, in which case that person wouldn't need my recommendations anyway. Laptops tend to have shorter lifespans (in general) than desktops, and you have no idea what the person you're buying it from put it through. Sure it may be a great deal, and then again it may not. In addition, anyone who's not very tech savvy can benefit greatly from having the thing under warranty, and having tech support he can fall back on.