IIf you’re planning to buy a laptop around the mid-budget range in India, you’ll notice one thing very quickly:

Most laptops either give you a strong processor but poor RAM/storage, or good specs but weak display/build.

It is #15 on the top 20 Amazon best-sellers list in the Laptops category. That’s why the ASUS Vivobook 15 Smartchoice (M1502YA-BQ703WS) looks so attractive on paper. It packs:

AMD Ryzen 7 5825U
16GB RAM
512GB SSD
15.6-inch FHD display
Windows 11 + Office Home 2024
Microsoft 365 Basic (1 year)
Lightweight around 1.7 kg
42Wh battery

In short, ASUS tries to make this a “complete ready-to-use laptop” for students, WFH users, and office work.

But is it actually worth buying in 2026? Let’s review it properly.

Quick Verdict (30-second Summary)

✅ Best for: Students, office work, coding, online classes, multitasking, light editing
✅ Top strengths: Ryzen 7 8-core CPU, 16GB RAM, Office Home 2024 included, light weight
⚠️ Consider before buying:** Not for gaming/3D work, battery is average (42Wh), display is standard budget FHD

Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.4/5)

1) Key Specifications (What You’re Really Paying For)

Here are the highlights of this specific model:

Model: ASUS Vivobook 15 (M1502YA-BQ703WS)
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5825U (8-core/16-thread)
Graphics: AMD Radeon iGPU
RAM: 16GB DDR4
Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
Display: 15.6" FHD 60Hz (~250 nits in spec listing)
Weight: ~1.7 kg
Software: Windows 11 + Office Home 2024 + Microsoft 365 Basic (1 year)
Battery: 42Wh

2) Performance Review: Ryzen 7 5825U Still a Strong CPU

The Ryzen 7 5825U is one of the best “efficient performance” processors for this price class because it gives you:

✅ 8 cores + 16 threads
✅ strong multitasking ability
✅ smooth performance for office + study work
✅ good heat management (compared to heavy H-series chips)

ASUS lists Ryzen 7 5825U as part of the Vivobook 15 M1502 series lineup.

What it handles easily

MS Office (heavy Excel sheets)
Zoom/Google Meet + Chrome tabs together
Coding (VS Code, Python, web dev tools)
Photoshop/light editing
Casual gaming (not high FPS, but playable in low settings)

What it is not meant for

Hardcore AAA gaming
Heavy video editing / 4K timeline
Blender / 3D rendering work

For those workloads, you’d want an H-series CPU + dedicated GPU.

3) RAM + SSD: The Real Reason This Laptop Feels Fast

Many laptops still ship with 8GB RAM in 2026, and users regret it within months.

This Vivobook gives:

16GB RAM
512GB NVMe SSD

This combination alone makes daily usage feel smooth.

✅ With 16GB RAM, you can comfortably run:

10–25 Chrome tabs
MS Office
background downloads
YouTube/Spotify
Zoom meetings

without that “system is stuck” feeling.

4) Display: Standard FHD Screen (Good Enough for Most)

The laptop comes with a 15.6-inch Full HD display.
ASUS specs also mention around 250 nits brightness and 60Hz.

What it’s good for

✅ Online classes
✅ YouTube/Movies
✅ Office documents
✅ Light creative work

What it’s not perfect for

⚠️ Professional photo/video color grading
⚠️ Outdoor sunny use (250 nits can feel low outside)

For most Indian users (indoor work), it is absolutely fine.

5) Battery & Portability: A Practical Daily Laptop

This Vivobook weighs around 1.7 kg, which makes it a decent daily carry laptop for students.

Battery is 42Wh.

Realistic battery expectation:

light use (notes + browsing): ~5–7 hours
office + video calls: ~4–6 hours
heavy multitasking: ~3.5–5 hours

(Actual varies with brightness and apps.)

6) Biggest Bonus: Office Home 2024 Included

This is a big value factor.

This model includes Office Home 2024 + Microsoft 365 Basic for 1 year.

For students and office buyers, this saves money because:

Office is expensive as separate purchase
You get genuine licensed software preloaded

If your usage is mostly Excel/Word/PowerPoint, this makes the laptop “ready from day one”.

7) Comparison Table (Best Alternatives to Consider)

Laptop Model	CPU	RAM/SSD	Office Included	Best For
ASUS Vivobook 15 M1502YA-BQ703WS	Ryzen 7 5825U	16GB / 512GB	Office 2024 + M365	Students + office + coding
Vivobook i7 (13th Gen variant)	Core i7	16/512	Office 2024	office + performance
Lenovo IdeaPad Ryzen 5	Ryzen 5	16/512	varies	value option
HP Pavilion Ryzen	Ryzen	16/512	varies	balanced design

✅ If you want the best “all-round” deal: this Ryzen 7 Vivobook is among the strongest in its price bracket.

Pros & Cons (Honest Review)

✅ Pros

Powerful Ryzen 7 5825U (8-core/16-thread)
16GB RAM + 512GB SSD = smooth daily performance
Office Home 2024 + Microsoft 365 Basic included
Lightweight around 1.7kg
Great for multitasking and productivity

⚠️ Cons

iGPU only (not for gaming/high-end editing)
Display brightness is average (~250 nits)
42Wh battery is average (not MacBook-level)

Installation Tips (Section 1 of 2)

✅ 1) Update Windows + ASUS drivers on Day 1

After first boot:

run Windows Update fully
install MyASUS updates for BIOS/drivers

This improves:

battery stability
Wi-Fi performance
thermals

✅ 2) Set power mode smartly

Battery saver while studying
Balanced for daily use
Best performance only when plugged in

✅ 3) Enable OneDrive backup (optional)

Since Office is included, OneDrive works well for:

documents
assignments
PPT files

✅ 4) Add an extra SSD only if needed

512GB is enough for most users, but if you store heavy videos, consider external SSD.

Mistakes to Avoid (Section 2 of 2)

❌ 1) Expecting gaming laptop performance

Ryzen 7 is strong, but it’s a U-series chip + integrated graphics.

❌ 2) Using it on bed without airflow

Don’t block vents—this reduces performance and increases temperature.

❌ 3) Running at 100% brightness always

Brightness is the #1 battery killer.
Use 40–70% for best battery life.

❌ 4) Skipping Office activation

Make sure Office Home 2024 activates properly with Microsoft account to avoid issues later.

❌ 5) Ignoring warranty registration

Final Verdict: Should You Buy This ASUS Vivobook 15?

If your goal is to buy a laptop that:

is fast for daily tasks
can handle multitasking
is future-proof with 16GB RAM
includes genuine Office
stays light and portable

✅ then ASUS Vivobook 15 Ryzen 7 (M1502YA-BQ703WS) is a smart value buy in 2026.

It’s not meant for hardcore gaming, but for students + office users, this is one of the most balanced configurations you can buy.

Buy Link:

Check current price here: ASUS Vivobook 15 Ryzen 7 5825U (M1502YA-BQ703WS) on Amazon at the cheapest and lowest price with bank offers, if you compare with similar products and sites.

FAQs (12 Most Asked Questions)

1) Is Ryzen 7 5825U good in 2026?

Yes, it’s still a powerful 8-core CPU for productivity and multitasking.

2) Is this laptop good for students?

Yes, especially because it includes Office Home 2024 and 16GB RAM.

3) Does it support gaming?

It has AMD Radeon iGPU. Light games are playable, but it’s not a gaming laptop.

4) Is Microsoft Office included?

Yes, Office Home 2024 + Microsoft 365 Basic are included.

5) How is the display quality?

15.6” FHD is good for daily use. Brightness around 250 nits is standard.

6) Is it good for coding?

Yes. Ryzen 7 + 16GB RAM is excellent for coding and multitasking.

7) How much RAM and storage does it have?

16GB RAM and 512GB SSD.

8) Is it good for video editing?

Light editing is fine. For heavy editing, a dedicated GPU laptop is better.

9) What is the battery capacity?

It comes with around 42Wh battery.

10) Is it lightweight?

Yes, around 1.7kg.

11) Does it have SSD or HDD?

It has SSD storage (NVMe).

12) Is it suitable for office work?

Yes, very suitable due to RAM + Office + performance.

ASUS Vivobook 15 Ryzen 7 (M1502YA-BQ703WS) Review (2026) — Smartchoice Laptop for Students & Office Work?