Need some help, please!

Hey everyone, good evening!
I was hoping I could get some advice on picking out a new laptop. My son is turning 11 soon, and we want to get him something for his birthday that will handle both schoolwork—he starts middle school this fall—and his gaming. He’s really into Minecraft, Battleground (I think that’s how you spell it, he’s not here to correct me right now), GTA, FIFA, and stuff like that.
To be honest, tech isn't exactly my specialty, but we’re looking for something that won't become a paperweight in a year or two. We’ve got about $1667 to work with, but we definitely need to pay it off in installments.
It doesn't matter if we pick it up at a local shop—there aren't many great options around here in Santa Monica anyway—or just order it online. The main thing is the financing; we really need at least a 12-month payment plan, otherwise, it's just not doable for us.
Do you think we can find something decent within that range? Any specific models you'd recommend?
Thanks so much, guys!

Alright, here’s a quick update now that I’ve actually sat down and read the rules properly—sorry about being so rushed before!

0. Where are you planning to shop / where are you located?
Honestly, I don't care which store it is, as long as they're legit. An online shop works perfectly fine for me. I'm living in
Santa Monica, so I'm pretty close to Seattle.

1. What screen size are you looking for: 15'' or 17''? I'm not sure, so please let me know what you think would be better.

2. Resolution
I have no clue, but if a higher resolution makes games look better, then definitely go for the highest/best option available.

3. Glossy or matte screen? Either is fine with me.

4. What will you be using the laptop for?
Browsing the web, checking emails, Office stuff, listening to music, watching movies, and playing some games (Minecraft, Fortnite, FIFA...).

5. Do you need Windows?
Yeah, I've never used anything else and I probably wouldn't even know how to figure out another system if I tried.

6. Do you have any favorite brands or any you want to avoid? Nope.

7. How much are you planning to spend? $1667 Around $1,000, but I absolutely need to be able to pay in installments—ideally at least 12 months.

8. How important is the warranty to you? At least 2 years.

Thanks!

Dell Notebook 17-ak007nm, 2KE98EA, Intel Core i5, 17.3" LED, 4 GB DDR4, 1TB HDD, 128GB SSD, DVD+/-RW, GeForce GT 4GB, USB3.1, HDMI, LAN, WLAN, Bluetooth, Windows 10 Home, 36-month Warranty, Color: Silk gold cover/ ash silver key frame

You aren't going to get anywhere with a GeForce GT. It's a bottom-tier card; most modern titles won't even launch on it. If you want to actually play anything, an MX150 is pretty much the bare minimum I'd suggest.

By the way, does the laptop need Windows pre-installed, or can you just have someone wipe it and install it later? Unless you're buying a dedicated business machine, it shouldn't be an issue. Honestly, though, finding a laptop that comes with Windows and a decent GPU is nearly impossible. You're basically getting zero value for your money there.

For example, if you skip the Windows license, you could grab this:

Something similar but with Windows (and less RAM) would run you about $333 more.

Thanks redscro and everyone else for all the help on this thread 🙏...after digging through a few more forums and getting some advice, we ended up grabbing an Acer Aspire without Windows. It’s nothing fancy and definitely isn't for work or anything serious, but we talked our neighbor into helping us set it up and now Fortnite is already up and running perfectly ☕...now I've got a whole different headache on my hands, though—figuring out how to actually stick to the time limits I set for myself, but I guess that was kind of expected 😵..don't worry, I'll get it figured out eventually 😁