Hardware matters. Invest in a faster PC and your Microsoft Access databases will run faster. Be alert for sellers packaging fast processors with minimal memory and a slow hard drive to keep prices low. Look at all aspects of the purchase when database speed is a priority. A faster hard drive is worth the investment and more memory will help to improve the performance of the system.
| Hardware / Versions | Access 2016 | Access 2013 | Access 2010 |
| Processor | 1 gigahertz (Ghz) or faster x86-bit or x64-bit processor with SSE2 | 1 GHz clock speed, IA-32 or x64 architecture with SSE2 support | 500-megahertz (MHz) processor or higher. |
| Memory | 1 GB RAM (32 bit); 2 GB RAM (64 bit) | IA-32 edition: 1 GB x64 edition: 2 GB | 256 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher. |
| Display | 1024 x 768 resolution | 1024 x 768 resolution | 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Graphics Hardware Acceleration Requirements | DirectX 10 graphics card. | DirectX 10 graphics card. | DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics card with drivers dated 11/1/2004 or later. |