How to Speed up Excel Calculating 4 Processors (16 Effective Ways)

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Excel is a versatile application. We can perform millions of calculations in Excel. However, when the datasheet contains a large number of data and calculations, the application loses its efficiency, and the processing time of that calculation takes more time than usual. This article will show 16 easy ways to speed up Excel by calculating 4 processors. If you face a similar problem, follow us to fix the issue.


How to Speed up Excel Calculating 4 Processors: 16 Effective Ways

Facing performance lacking in our device as well as Microsoft Excel is a common phenomenon while working on a large dataset. It causes a severe loss of our essential working hours. This article will show 16 effective approaches to speed up Excel by calculating 4 processors.


1. Modifying Excel Options

Sometimes, changing Excel’s advanced formula options helps us to speed up the Excel calculation. The procedure to change the advanced formula options is given as follows:

📌 Steps:

  • First, select File > Options.

  • As a result, the Excel Options dialog box will appear.
  • Now, click on the Advanced option.
  • Scroll down with your mouse to get the Formula section.
  • Then, choose the Use all processors on this computer: 4 option.
  • Finally, click OK.

Changing Excel’s Advanced Formula Options to Speed up Excel Calculating 4 Processors

  • You will be able to speed up your application.

In the end, we can say that we are able to fix the issue and speed up Excel by calculating 4 processors.


2. Modifying Calculation Options

The processing time of any calculation in Excel depends on the calculation options. Switching the calculation mode sometimes helps us to increase the of our applications. The steps for changing this mode are shown below:

📌 Steps:

  • First, go to the Formulas tab.
  • Then, click on the drop-down arrow of the Calculation Options options.
  • Switch the calculation mode from Automatic to Manual.

Modifying Calculation Options to Speed up Excel Calculating 4 Processors

  • You will see that the speed of calculation will increase.

At last, we can say that we are able to fix the problem and speed up Excel by calculating 4 processors.


3. Disabling Excel Add-ins

Excel Add-ins sometimes run in the Excel’s background and burn some memory of our computer’s processor. As a result, the calculation speed decreased. By disabling the Add-ins, we can increase the speed of our application. The process is given below step by step:

📌 Steps:

  • In the beginning, select File > Options.

  • As a result, the Excel Options dialog box will appear.
  • After that, click on the Add-ins option.
  • Then, choose the Excel Add-ins in the Manage option and click Go.

Disabling Excel Add-ins to Speed up Excel Calculating 4 Processors

  • Another small dialog box called Add-ins will appear.
  • Now, uncheck all the Add-ins and click OK.

Disabling Excel Add-ins to Speed up Excel Calculating 4 Processors

  • You will get your all Excel Add-ins disabled.

Finally, we can say that we are able to fix the trouble and speed up Excel by calculating 4 processors.

Read More: How to Open Large Excel Files Without Crashing


4. Removing Unnecessary Conditional Formatting

Conditional formatting takes a huge time to process the calculation. Because in every step, Excel has to check the conditions with the cell value and show the cell formatting. If your dataset contains thousands of rows to compute, then the situation of that file will be worse.

Try to avoid all irrelevant Conditional Formatting. It may save lots of your computation time.


5. Use Simple Formula

Using of nested formula increases the computation time of your dataset. In the nested formula, Excel required additional time to trace the primary functions and use their value in further computation of that formula.

Using multiple simple formulas instead of one complex formula can increase the speed of calculation in a large dataset.


6. Replace Complex Formulas with VBA Code

Besides using multiple formulas, we can replace the complex formulas with a VBA code. The VBA code of any complex formula requires much less time to run than the main formula. As a result, the computation time of Excel will decrease, and we will be able to complete our calculations earlier.

Read More: How to Make VBA Code Run Faster


7. Saving Excel Files in Binary Format

Saving large Excel files in binary format is another way to speed up the application’s operational time. The procedure for saving a file in the binary format is given below:

📌 Steps:

  • First of all, select the File > Save As option.
  • As a result, the Save As window will appear.
  • After that, change the file format from Excel Workbook (*.xlsx) to Excel Binary Workbook (*.xlsb).
  • Now, choose your desired location and click on Save to save it in binary format.

Saving Excel Files in Binary Format to Speed up Excel Calculating 4 Processors

So, we can say that saving the Excel workbook in binary format may speed up Excel by calculating 4 processors.


8. Avoiding Volatile Functions

Volatile functions denote the functions in which the cell value changes whenever it is calculated. As a result, it adds an extra load on the processors of that device. Moreover, this function gets refreshed whenever the file opens or maximizes from the Task Bar. Excel has 8 built-in volatile functions. They are:

  1. NOW()
  2. TODAY()
  3. RANDBETWEEN()
  4. RAND()
  5. INDIRECT()
  6. OFFSET()
  7. CELL()
  8. INFO()

So, we recommend that while you are writing your formula in a large data sheet, try to avoid these functions. You will be able to speed up Excel by calculating 4 processors.

Read More: How to Improve Excel Performance with Large Files


9. Delete All Unnecessary Data and Sheets

The presence of unnecessary scattered data in a worksheet increases the size of that file. As a result, it requires more memory space from your computer’s processor to run its computational progress, and finally, your device lacks its performance. If you don’t know whether there remains any unessential data, the steps to remove them are shown below step by step:

📌 Steps:

  • Select an entire column.
  • Then, press the ‘Ctrl+Shift+Right arrow’ to select all the rest of the columns.

  • After that, press Delete.
  • Similarly, select an entire row and press the ‘Ctrl+Shift+Down arrow’ to select the rest of the rows.

  • Finally, press Delete to delete all data.
  • Moreover, you can delete a sheet by right click on the sheet name in the Sheet Name Bar with your mouse.
  • You can remove all unnecessary data and sheets by following the way.

Thus, we can say that by removing unimportant data, we can speed up Excel by calculating 4 processors.


10. Avoid Using Entire Row or Column References

Using an entire row or column as the cell reference sometimes causes the reduction of that application’s computation speed. Setting up an entire row in the cell reference will cause 16,384 cells of that row in that reference, and among these cells, most of the cells will remain unused. Moreover, using that entire row in the cell reference will cause a burn of your processor’s memory.

Similarly, if we set an entire column in the cell reference, 1,048,576 cells of that column will be inserted as the cell reference.

So, you can realize that using an entire row or column as the cell reference is nothing but increases the complexity of that formula.


11. Split Single Workbook into Multiple Workbooks

When a datasheet contains millions of data, it requires more memory space to run the calculation. To avoid such occurrences, you can create multiple workbooks instead of a single workbook. Moreover, in the latest versions of Excel, you can establish relationships between various workbooks and extract some essential value from them. The procedure for extracting text from a different workbook is given below:

📌 Steps:

  • First, select cell E5 and press the Equal (=) sign.

  • Then, go to your desired workbook and click on that cell which values you want to extract from that file. In our case, we want to get the marks from the Examination Marks You will notice that when you click on the cell it will show the cell reference on both files’ Formula Bar.

Split Single Workbook into Multiple Workbooks to Speed up Excel Calculating 4 Processors

  • Delete the Absolute Cell Reference sign from before the row number.
  • Finally, press Enter.

Split Single Workbook into Multiple Workbooks to Speed up Excel Calculating 4 Processors

  • Now, double-click on the Fill Handle icon to copy the formula up to cell E14.

Split Single Workbook into Multiple Workbooks to Speed up Excel Calculating 4 Processors

  • You will get the values from another file.

Thus, we can say that following the steps mentioned here, you can get data from multiple Excel workbooks, and you will be able to speed up Excel by calculating 4 processors.


12. Inserting Table

Converting the dataset into a table will help to speed up the calculation process. The steps of inserting a table are given below.

📌 Steps:

  • First of all, select the range of cells B4:E4.

  • Now, press ‘Ctrl+T’ to convert the dataset into a table.
  • As a result, a small dialog box called Create Table will appear.
  • Then, check the option titled My table has headers and click OK.

  • After that, write down the following formula in cell E5 to get the percentage value.

=[@Marks]/[@Total]

  • Press Enter.
  • You will see within a second, that all the values of percentage will appear. Even we don’t have to use the Fill Handle icon anymore.

Inserting Table to Speed up Excel Calculating 4 Processors

So, we can say that inserting a table will help us to speed up Excel by calculating 4 processors.

💬 Things You Should Know

The most beneficial features of propagating the formula through the column of the table sometimes cause a backfire in our work. If your dataset contains thousands of rows, the table will automatically calculate all the rows every time. It may cause extra pressure on your processors and reduce the speed of processing the calculation.


13. Applying Formulas That Work Fast

In Excel, some functions can process the calculation more quickly than some specific functions. We are mentioning two functions regarding this issue.


14. Using Microsoft Excel 64-bit Version

If you are currently using a 32-bit version of Microsoft Excel, then installing its 64-bit version may help you to speed up your calculation processing. Before that, your hardware must have to fulfill the requirements needed to install the 64-bit version of Excel.


15. Close Other Programs on Your Device

Sometimes, keeping on some unnecessary applications may cause a performance fall of your device. Because even if you minimize that application, they acquire some of your processor memory to keep running their internal work. As a result, Excel doesn’t get enough processor memory to process its calculations smoothly. Always try to keep less number of running applications on your device. Moreover, close every application after completing its work. It is a good practice.


16. Re-Installing Windows

It is the ultimate way to solve this problem. If none of these solutions mentioned above can increase the computation speed of Excel, you can re-install the window of your computer. But it may lose all the available data of your Operating System(OS)-Drive or C-Drive.

So, we recommend you, try all the 15 solutions, mentioned here to fix the issue.

Read More: How to Make Excel Faster on Windows 10


Download Practice Workbook

Download this practice workbooks for practice while you are reading this article.


Conclusion

That’s the end of this article. I hope that this article will be helpful for you and you will be able to speed up Excel by calculating 4 processors. Please share any further queries or recommendations with us in the comments section below if you have any further questions or recommendations.


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Soumik Dutta
Soumik Dutta

Soumik Dutta, having earned a BSc in Naval Architecture & Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, plays a key role as an Excel & VBA Content Developer at ExcelDemy. Driven by a profound passion for research and innovation, he actively immerses himself in Excel. In his role, Soumik not only skillfully addresses complex challenges but also demonstrates enthusiasm and expertise in gracefully navigating tough situations, underscoring his unwavering commitment to consistently deliver exceptional, high-quality content that... Read Full Bio

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