but it’s much easier to get the best processor you can now and put an extra stick of 8gb ram in (£30?) Next year or whenever he has a few Bob to spare.Yes, exactly. An older processor with more memory will work better than a faster processor working with less memory. 16Gb is enough, 8Gb will only be OK if you close apps or programs you aren't using.
those recent ryzen mobile processors are great. By the way