Disk buffering system would still be needed on old laptop to navigate tick data. My tick data files are usually under 10gb for 10years, even in reletively uncompressed format. With good enough disk buffering system RAM might not need to be even over 2gb On disk the data could be precalculated to efficient timing ratios to speed up access. Modern monitor is just 2k pixels wide , so max you can display may be 2k data points at a time per instrument. Why would task like this require fast pc... The software used probably was never optimized for tick data?
If you're doing any sort of proper backtesting/analysis, you're going to want as much "power" as you can get. If you're backtesting, and you don't need more power, you're doing it wrong.
" Perhaps the board would like to hear from you when you get your new rig running... to let us know how it performs in your "high demand" task." Sure will Scat & again my sincere Thanks to all of you.
qqq: what workstation did you buy? may you please share the specifications and a picture of your workstation? thank you.