I have a sample size of exactly one, but I've had good luck with my "scratch and dent" Dell. I bought a slightly more pricey machine (mine came in a little over $700), but that was after a 30% off coupon they had up on the site. The major manufacturers (Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc.) all have online outlet stores that you can shop for refurbished laptops. Some promise to be in near-pristine condition, but mine had a tiny scratch on the lid. I am not at all bothered.
After the coupon I used, I got my computer for about half the price of buying new, which can be a big chunk of change when you're talking about something as expensive as a laptop.
Usually the computers you can buy there are going to be slightly older models, but you can definitely save a lot of money if budget is a priority (and IDK what kinds of games your husband plays, but most of them are a lot less frustrating with a dedicated graphics chip, and at full price you're probably not going to get that for $500).
It's just something to think about--like I said, I have the smallest possible sample size, so there might be a bunch of potential problems I don't know about.
Good luck with your purchase!