Work laptop issues

[Pierremontquaker03]

Hi,
thanks for looking at this thread:
I have started a new job which is heavily excel driven and in my "unqualified" opinion I don't think the laptop is good enough. the details are as follows:

Processor: Intel (R)Core™ i3-8130U CPU @ 2.20GHz 2.20 GHZ
Installed Ram: 4.00 GB (3.86 GB usable)
System type: 64bit operating system, x64-based processor

The issue is one particular spreadsheet - which is 17,284kb in size.

This spreadsheet has a data tab with 22,000 rows of data downloaded from the nominal ledger system and has multiple tabs with Pivot tables looking up the data.

The issues are
(1) I have to close and re-open the file before I refresh the pivots - otherwise I get the message "the system does not have enough resource" or something to that effect and then I cannot save the file and lose any amendments I have made since the last time I have saved the file.
(2) when working through the tab with the 22,000 rows I filter out some of the information, and I amend some of the information and copy and pasting is extremely slow, well it takes a few seconds, and I need to do everything at speed and it slows me down considerably at month end.

So my question is - is my laptop good enough? I have spoke to my works IT dept and they have said my laptop is perfectly fine. Surely I can improve my laptop even if they wont give me a new one for a few quid, extra memory etc. I have limited knowledge of laptops but from past experience I would never buy a laptop which is 4.00GB - I would always buy 8.00GB.

Thanks for any comments or suggestions.

 

[Abraham Andres Luna]

Do you have any apps open at the same time as you are working on the spreadsheet? A browser takes up about 400MB even when you only have 1 tab open. Maybe if you could use your cell phone to navigate the web and check email you won't need to open them on the laptop. And yes I agree that a computer these days needs at least 8GB.

 

[jlstamey]

Your workplace did not provide you w an adequate laptop, straight up!
If what you'll be doing is heavy Excel use, you should be on a i5 maybe even a i7 for processing power. Mem should be 16 maybe 32 GBs!
Our financial analysts at my work place have i7 and 64GB of memory. Yes it is a $2500 laptop but they can do ANYTHING they every need to do!

 

[jlstamey]

also use the 64bit version of Excel/Office. 32bit can only access up to 4GB of memory addressing space.

 

[benalt]

I deal with large amounts of data in Excel with many workbooks open. My work has issued me an i5 and I was able to upgrade from 8gb to 32Gb and it is just coping with what I do. An i3 with 4Gb is totally inadequate. You have a good machine for basic email and surfing the web.