(Rookie) Question about performance

[Marc Lambert]

Hello!

I realize that this is probably not the best forum for this, but figure with all of the expertise abound someone might be willing to indulge me. So with that intro / charm attempt .....

So I am looking at ordering (not building, "rookie") a desktop computer for the first time in about 15 years, because I figure it will give me the most bang for my buck. The primary use will be to work on very large-file applications in Microsoft Office and In-Design. I have an i7 laptop now with 16GB Ram and large SSD, and it can be painfully slow in working with large file-sized documents. (Tons of images, tables, equations, and text boxes) But I might note I have no concern with working with graphics or gaming.

Question 1: What is my most important consideration here? Should I go all-out and max the RAM amount? Speed of processor? Quad-Core? All of this matters??

Question 2: Any suggestions on what system I might consider?

Thanks to anyone who might share some thoughts.

 

[_Kyle_]

This is the best forum for anything computer related, except for computer haters.
Question 1: You will want to get another i7. Try to get a Hex core model if possible. 16GB of RAM is enough, but 32GB if you want some extra headroom.

 

[Calin]

Question 1: You'll need decent modern CPU and 16GB of RAM is ok. Also make sure it has a SSD so that your OS will load quick.
Question 2: There are too many prebuilt systems out there but tell us your budget so that we can tell you what to look for.