Hello! It's possible that the lag you are experiencing on your laptop after installing Microsoft Office 2021 could be due to a combination of factors such as insufficient RAM (4GB), the processing power of the i3 CPU, and the overall system load caused by running multiple applications simultaneously.
Microsoft Office 2021, especially when running alongside other applications like Chrome, can be demanding on system resources, which could lead to performance issues on a laptop with limited RAM and processing power.
Here are some steps you can take to potentially improve the performance of your laptop:
1. Check System Resource Usage: Use Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) to monitor the CPU, memory, disk, and network usage. Identify if any particular application is consuming a lot of resources.
2. Close Unnecessary Programs: Close any unnecessary programs running in the background to free up system resources. This can help improve the overall performance of your laptop.
3. Upgrade RAM: Consider upgrading your RAM to 8GB or higher if possible. This will provide more headroom for running multiple applications simultaneously and can help alleviate performance issues.
4. Optimize Startup Programs: Disable unnecessary startup programs that may be consuming system resources when you turn on your laptop. You can do this through Task Manager or System Configuration (msconfig).
5. Update Drivers: Make sure your drivers, especially graphics and chipset drivers, are up to date. Outdated drivers can sometimes cause performance issues.
6. Check for Malware: Run a full system scan with your antivirus software to check for any malware that could be affecting your system's performance.
7. Disk Cleanup: Perform a disk cleanup to remove temporary files and free up disk space. This can help improve overall system performance.
If you've tried these steps and are still experiencing lag, it may be worth considering upgrading your laptop's hardware for better performance, especially if you frequently use resource-intensive applications like Microsoft Office alongside other programs.