Create a memory-efficient Data Model using Excel 2013 and the PowerPivot add-in

In Excel 2013, you can create data models containing millions of rows, and then perform powerful data analysis against these models. Data models can be created with or without the PowerPivot add-in to support any number of PivotTables, charts, and Power View visualizations in the same workbook.

Although you can easily build huge data models in Excel, there are several reasons not to. First, large models that contain multitudes of tables and columns are overkill for most analyses, and make for a cumbersome Field List. Second, large models use up valuable memory, negatively affecting other applications and reports that share the same system resources. Finally, in Office 365, both SharePoint Online and Excel Web App limit the size of an Excel file to 10 MB. For workbook data models that contain millions of rows, you'll run into the 10 MB limit pretty quickly.