For 1080p at 32-bpc with 50 frames of preview: ~3 GB per frame. That’s 150 GB just for one second of preview at 50 fps. You see the problem.
The deepest requirement isn’t on Adobe’s spec sheet: Build the best machine you can afford, then learn to work around the software’s limits. Cache. Proxy. Pre-render. Sleep. Render overnight. after effects system requirements
(Resolution width × height × color depth × frames in preview) × (layers + effects) = RAM requirement. For 1080p at 32-bpc with 50 frames of
Adobe publishes three tiers of requirements: Minimum , Recommended , and Optional (for VR/4K+). Most users glance at the Minimum column, breathe a sigh of relief, install the software, and then wonder why their timeline chugs at 3 frames per minute. The deepest requirement isn’t on Adobe’s spec sheet:
Here’s the truth: They are not for working .
That’s the real system requirement.