Mac > PC: AE

[Tim Kurkoski]

This is true, but cost vs. speed still applies for PC’s, and AE is still a processor and RAM hog. If you’re getting a new, faster Mac anyway, AE will run well on it as well.

But if you want to have a separate machine just to run AE (say, to render while you’re editing on the Mac), there are some recommendations for squeezing as much power as you can into the machine.

– As fast of a processor as you can afford. I’m favoring the AMD 64-bit chips these days.
– 2 GB of RAM. 1 GB can get you by, but the more the merrier.
– A good video card. I’m favoring Nvidia chipsets these days. Spend as much money as you can on it.

[Lee Arnold]

Thanks for your thoughts. I have limited funds and I was wondering if it would be much cheaper to buy a PC than a Mac – or if they are more or less the same?

[Todd Gillespie]

You’re dancing around in circles a little bit…yes it’s cheaper to buy a ‘cheap’ PC than a Mac.
But if you have limited funds, why are to trying to squeeze a PC purchase? Wouldn’t it be better to buy a newer Mac: one you’re saving yourself in buying a copy of AE for the PC ($800-$1,500). Second if you buy a Mac, then your still can use it for FCP.
If you really want to get a PC speed demon for AE, then you’d be spending as much as a MAC, it would just be faster.

Todd at UCSB
Television Production