Best PC for Adobe After Effects in Canada (2026)
Custom motion graphics workstations — high CPU performance, 64GB+ RAM, dedicated cache SSD, and a strong NVIDIA RTX GPU.
After Effects benefits most from high CPU performance, lots of RAM (because AE caches frames in memory), fast cache storage, and enough GPU memory for higher-resolution media. Adobe's official After Effects system requirements list 16GB minimum RAM and 32GB+ recommended, with 4GB GPU minimum and 6GB+ for 4K work.
After Effects Workstation by Workflow
| Workflow | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube / social motion graphics | Ryzen 7 9800X3D / Core Ultra 7 | RTX 5070 Ti | 32–64GB | 1TB NVMe |
| Pro motion graphics / titles / lower thirds | Ryzen 9 9950X3D | RTX 5080 | 64GB | 2TB NVMe + cache |
| Heavy compositions, Element 3D, Trapcode | Ryzen 9 / Threadripper | RTX 5090 (32GB) | 128GB | NVMe array |
| Studio: AE + C4D + Octane / Redshift | Threadripper 9970X / 9980X | RTX PRO 5000 / 6000 | 128–256GB | NVMe array |
FAQ
Adobe recommends 32GB+ for serious work. Most working motion designers find 64GB the right sweet spot. Heavy compositions, Element 3D, or running AE alongside Cinema 4D justify 128GB.
Mostly no for typical motion graphics — AE is a mix of single-thread and multi-thread work. Ryzen 9 9950X3D handles most AE workflows excellently. Threadripper makes sense if you also do heavy 3D rendering or run AE alongside Cinema 4D / Houdini all day.
AE writes a disk cache for preview frames. A dedicated fast NVMe for cache (separate from OS and media) significantly reduces preview times and timeline lag.
A modern RTX 5070 Ti or RTX 5080 handles most AE workflows. RTX 5090 is justified for very high-resolution comps or heavy 3D plugins like Element 3D.
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