Excel Memory & Performance Limitation

[heylookitsme]

My previous laptop (which had some great specs) I noticed that when Excel Memory Usage rose above 1,800 MB that it would start behaving badly and do really random weird stuff (Example: Randomly freeze for short periods of time, click in a cell and it does not recognize that you clicked on it, but the data is in the formula bar, and you can change it. These are just two off the top of my head, there are many other random things as well). 

Now I have a new laptop with amazing specs, and I am using Microsoft Office 365 Enterprise 4 64-Bit version with the latest updates installed. I am still noticing that Excel is having issues when the Excel program memory goes above 1,800 MB. What is the deal? Does Excel have a limit on how much memory it uses? I did check my options and I'm using all threads with no limits listed. 

Is there a way to increase this limitation, if in fact one does exist? 

My Lap specs are;

AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U 8 Cores, 16 Threads

Ram Memory 32 GB

Microsoft Win 10 Pro

Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 2

[#2]

@heylookitsme 

Excel does have certain memory and performance limitations, which can affect its behavior when working with large datasets or complex calculations. While Excel itself doesn't have a strict memory limit, it can encounter performance issues when it consumes a large amount of memory, particularly if your system resources are being taxed heavily.

Some potential reasons for Excel behaving poorly when memory usage rises above a certain threshold include:

1. Memory Management: Excel may struggle with memory management, especially if it's running multiple complex calculations or handling large amounts of data. This can lead to slowdowns, freezes, or unexpected behavior.
2. Resource Allocation: Even with ample system resources like RAM and CPU cores, Excel may not always allocate them efficiently, leading to bottlenecks or performance issues.
3. Add-Ins and External Data Connections: Third-party add-ins or external data connections can also contribute to increased memory usage and affect Excel's performance.
4. Version and Updates: While using the latest version of Excel (as you are with Microsoft 365) can help address some performance issues, there may still be optimization or bug fixes needed in subsequent updates.

To address these issues and potentially improve Excel's performance:

1. Optimize Worksheets: Simplify and optimize your worksheets by removing unnecessary formatting, reducing the number of calculations, and minimizing external data connections.
2. Manage Add-Ins: Disable any unnecessary add-ins or extensions that may be running in Excel. These can consume additional resources and impact performance.
3. Increase Virtual Memory: If you're running out of physical RAM, increasing your system's virtual memory (pagefile) settings can help alleviate memory constraints.
4. Use 64-Bit Excel: You're already using the 64-bit version of Excel, which allows for larger memory usage compared to the 32-bit version.
5. Monitor Performance: Keep an eye on Excel's memory usage and performance using the Task Manager or other system monitoring tools. This can help you identify patterns or triggers for performance issues.

While increasing the memory limitation in Excel isn't directly possible, optimizing your worksheets and system resources can help mitigate performance issues and improve overall stability.

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