Hi,
I'd look into this ASUS (http
/www.amazon.com/N550JK-DS71T-Full-HD-Touchscreen-Laptop-Aluminum-Body/dp/B00IAA5BSS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407173034&sr=8-1&keywords=asus+laptop+850m) and it advertises a 5-hour battery life, which is pretty good for it's high-performance components. It's easily within your budget range and you'll have leftover to purchase a laptop cooler, which is usually pretty necessary for gaming laptops.
It's not considered a gaming laptop so it wouldn't be as bulky as some MSI or ASUS ROG offerings.
If you want a high-performance laptop (860M), I'd consider our Gigabyte (http
/www.ibuypower.com/Store/Gigabyte-P34Gv2-Gaming-Laptop). It's slim, it has an i7 HQ Processor, an 860M, and a IPS HD 1080P screen. It should weigh as much as the ASUS I linked above.
It's over your budget range, but you can take 5% off purchases of $1,299 or more (Promotional Code - BOXBOX5) and free shipping.
Let me know if you have any other questions or would like more recommendations!