This may be a dumb question. An Excel 2010 spreadsheet with a lot of calculations runs slowly on my old computer. I want to get a new computer and use Excel 365. Would welcome any suggestions on what I should consider hardware-wise to ensure my spreadsheet works fast. Processor? RAM? Laptop vs desktop? Operating system? Something else?
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Replacing old computer to run Excel 365
- Thread starter fokep
- Start date
6StringJazzer
Member
What are the specs for your old computer? (Processor, RAM, hard drive)
What are the characteristics of your Excel file? Number of sheets, rows and columns of data, types of formulas, volatile functions, array formulas?
Honestly just about any computer you can buy today will be more than powerful enough to effectively run almost any garden-variety Excel file. What is your budget?
You can probably get great performance from an Intel i5. Some models have 12 cores. Most users of processors above that are gamers that are doing things that require very high performance, overclocking, massive parallel processing, etc.
You will probably want 8G of RAM. If you really want more, it might be cheaper to add it yourself after you buy the box because off-the-shelf machines tend to increase all features in parallel. That is, if you buy a 12G machine it's probably also going to have a beefier processor and graphics processor. It's like with cars--if you want fog lights, you have to buy the Exterior Lighting package that also includes a bunch of stuff you don't really care about.
Think about SSD, which is getting cheaper all the time, and most likely now will be standard anyway on anything you choose.
Laptop vs. desktop is a matter of how you will use the machine. As a rule of thumb a laptop will be more expensive and harder to service than a desktop of equivalent performance because of the need to jam everything into a smaller package. If you don't need any portability, there is no particular reason to go with a laptop. If you do need portability, spring for it. But if you do a lot of work at your desk also consider an extra monitor and keyboard.
I am a Windows guy but some people might recommend a Mac. IMHO those tend to be more expensive and you are signing up to live in the Apple Universe.
Windows 11 is the next big thing. I don't use it; I use Windows 10. I think some new machines are shipping with 11 but this does not appear to be universal.
What are the characteristics of your Excel file? Number of sheets, rows and columns of data, types of formulas, volatile functions, array formulas?
Honestly just about any computer you can buy today will be more than powerful enough to effectively run almost any garden-variety Excel file. What is your budget?
You can probably get great performance from an Intel i5. Some models have 12 cores. Most users of processors above that are gamers that are doing things that require very high performance, overclocking, massive parallel processing, etc.
You will probably want 8G of RAM. If you really want more, it might be cheaper to add it yourself after you buy the box because off-the-shelf machines tend to increase all features in parallel. That is, if you buy a 12G machine it's probably also going to have a beefier processor and graphics processor. It's like with cars--if you want fog lights, you have to buy the Exterior Lighting package that also includes a bunch of stuff you don't really care about.
Think about SSD, which is getting cheaper all the time, and most likely now will be standard anyway on anything you choose.
Laptop vs. desktop is a matter of how you will use the machine. As a rule of thumb a laptop will be more expensive and harder to service than a desktop of equivalent performance because of the need to jam everything into a smaller package. If you don't need any portability, there is no particular reason to go with a laptop. If you do need portability, spring for it. But if you do a lot of work at your desk also consider an extra monitor and keyboard.
I am a Windows guy but some people might recommend a Mac. IMHO those tend to be more expensive and you are signing up to live in the Apple Universe.
Windows 11 is the next big thing. I don't use it; I use Windows 10. I think some new machines are shipping with 11 but this does not appear to be universal.
For What Its Worth ... I just purchased the following system. It is without a doubt the best machine I've ever owned ! Keep in mind, manufacturers are tending to not include an optical drive (DVD/CD) with computers any longer. This unit does not come with an optical drive. Best price to be found is on Amazon $649. https://www.asus.com/Displays-Desktops/Tower-PCs/ExpertCenter/ExpertCenter-D5-SFF-D500SC/
Amazon also has an external DVD/CD RW unit for approx. $20. USB connected.
Amazon also has an external DVD/CD RW unit for approx. $20. USB connected.
6StringJazzer
Member
I am surprised that any modern machine has PS/2 ports, a serial port, a VGA port, and no DVI port.