st: AW: what is a good processor type and working memory size to work with a large dataset in Stata 11?

["Martin Weiss" <martin.weiss1@gmx.de>]

<> 


Re dataset size, try http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/data/howbig.html

Re processors and expected improvements for the MP version, try
http://www.stata.com/statamp/report.pdf




HTH
Martin


-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
[mailto:owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu] Im Auftrag von Evelyn
Ersanilli
Gesendet: Dienstag, 20. April 2010 14:01
An: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
Betreff: st: what is a good processor type and working memory size to work
with a large dataset in Stata 11?

Dear stata-listers,

At our institute we are looking to buy new laptops to use in two projects
that will compile and analyse a large datasets.
We are trying to figure out  what type of processor and what size working
memory would be most appropriate, i.e. give an acceptable processing speed 
(and still fit with our budget ;))
It would be great if you could give us some advice.

We estimate that dataset 1 will contain about 2 million observations (mostly
numeric variables). For most analyses only a selection of observations will
be used. The dataset will mainly be analysed with time-series techniques
Dataset 2 will contain about 8.000 cases with 500-600 variables so roughly 4
million observations (again very few string variables). Here we would often
take all cases (but only a selection of variables) to do some fairly basic
OLS, logit and multilevel analyses.
What would be a minimum processor speed and memory size to analyse these two
datasets without having to go get a cup of tea every time we hit  the enter
key?

I'm not quite sure what determines the speed of Stata calculations (other
than of course the complexity of the analyses); the processor, working
memory or the interaction of the two?
Could anyone explain this a bit?

We have a Stata 11 SE license.  Would it still make sense to get a duo or
quad core processor?

Many thanks

Kind regards,

Evelyn


Research Officer 
EUMAGINE project 
 
International Migration Institute (IMI)
James Martin 21st Century School 
Department of International Development 
Mansfield Road
Oxford OX1 3TB
University of Oxford 
Tel: +44 (0)1865271925


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