Need help upgrading laptop!

Hi, I'm new to this forum, hoping that I've posted in the right place.
First of all, I've had this laptop for 3 or 4 years and have come to realize that I can't play many games that I would like to.
I would like to request a list of hardware that I should maybe buy to better my performance. Here are a couple games that can run, but are really choppy and unplayable, even on the lowest settings. DayZ, The Amazing Spider-Man, Sniper Elite 2, Skyrim. My laptop is a Lenovo y480 , here are the specs.

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit (6.1, Build 7601)
Manufacturer: Lenovo
System Model: Lenovo IdeaPad Y480
BIOS: InsydeH20 Version 03.71.515DCN34WW(1.11)
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3610QM CPU @ 2.30GHz (8 CPUs), ~2.3GHz
Memory: 4096MB RAM
Page file: 5177MB used, 2817MB available
Directx 11

I've researched a slight bit and it seems that this laptop is very picky with which hardware is applicable.
I'm also extremely ignorant of the inside of a laptop.
So, what should I get to be able to play games at a medium setting?
Your help is very appreciated. Thanks!

 

It sounds like you fell for the advertising 'blurb' saying this is...

A GAMING LAPTOP... there are very few TRUE gaming Laptops... mainly because of COST...
Here are a couple of extracts from reviews of the Ideapad Y480...

For GAMING, a Desktop Unit would have been cheaper and can be upgraded as time goes by...

From various reviews...
When you're in the market for HD video streaming and a little gaming, which are just the sorts of things Lenovo hopes you'll do with the IdeaPad Y480, which ups the multimedia ante with a new GPU from NVIDIA, along with a quad-core Ivy Bridge processor.

One gripe is that the keys' responsiveness is accompanied by plenty of clicking and clacking: we're already loud typists, and the IdeaPad Y480 didn't do anything to endear us to our neighbors in the office.

Less forgivable, though, is the notebook's middling 1,366 x 768 display; when you have that graphics oomph, you want the high-res visuals to match…

Given the brand-new GPU under the hood, you'd think the Y480 would sport a brilliant screen to match that graphics power; it's just a reminder that this isn't a high-end media machine like the Alienware M11x or the MSI GT70.

When we fired up World of Warcraft and Mafia II, we saw accurate colors, if not the crispest details; for enjoying graphics-intensive titles, 1,600 x 900 or higher would have been ideal.
The lack of a 1080p or even 1,600 x 900 display may be reason enough for gamers, photo enthusiasts and streaming addicts to look elsewhere. For those who just want something a little more substantial than an Ultrabook, though, this is a solid, affordable, all-purpose option.

It is really an Office Laptop with better graphics and Multimedia options.

Hope you want to play WoW and Mafia II... OR just turn the settings to low permanently...

Sorry...

 

Thanks for the response. Was expecting some options to what I should try and upgrade but I've decided to maybe just buy a new desktop.