Laptop shoppers no longer need to be faced with the unenviable choice of long battery life or powerful graphics. Notebooks with Nvidia’s Optimus technology attempt to deliver the best of both worlds by seamlessly switching between two GPUs—one discrete, one integrated–to give you plenty of oomph for playing the latest titles as well as close to all-day endurance. And unlike previous switchable graphics laptops, there’s no need to flick a switch or deal with screen flicker. It all happens automatically.

Here are our top five Optimus notebooks in a range of sizes, from $500 to $1,300.

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ASUS Eee PC 1215N ($499)

The addition of Nvidia's Optimus graphics technology makes this the best 12-inch notebook you can get under $500.

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Pros Strong performance Good battery life Larger touchpad than predecessor Runs cool Improved webcam

Cons Sluggish boot time Deck and lid pick up fingerprints