32GB of RAM + a desktop i7 + a used RTX 3060. That rig will outperform a $3,000 thin laptop.
16GB. The Sweet Spot: 32GB. The "Time is Money" Pro: 64GB+. The Processor Paradox (Single Core vs. The World) Most software loves many cores. Premiere Pro will happily use 16 cores to export video. After Effects? It’s a diva. after effects minimum requirements
4GB VRAM (NVIDIA RTX 3050 / AMD Radeon 6600) The Pro: 8GB+ VRAM (NVIDIA RTX 4070+) 32GB of RAM + a desktop i7 + a used RTX 3060
Pro tip: NVIDIA is historically more stable with AE than AMD due to CUDA support. Most people buy a fast CPU and forget the hard drive. Big mistake. After Effects creates thousands of temporary cache files. If you are writing those to a slow mechanical hard drive (HDD), your computer will stutter even if you have a supercomputer for a CPU. The Sweet Spot: 32GB