Reply To: Is upgrading IT worth the money?

Hello Stephen,
Can you provide more technical details about your current rendering project like:
– number of objects, vertixes, edges, faces, animation object / camera movements?
– frame/second used
– image resolution
– what are your render settings?

WHY?
Without these underlying technical details it is very hard (for others here) to make a clear picture about the rendering-performance needed for what you call …. a 15 seconds basis animation. .. (which is perhaps based on your wrong assumption, perception of this animation)

The process of rendering is – by its design and nature – very computer resource intensive. It is much like growing a new tree from its seed..  It does take time (and lots of cpu/ gpu power) complete.

You are ….running on Windows 10…on a laptop…
Windows10 comes out of the Microsoft box with a lot of (unnecessary, privacy invading) background services and other Microsoft-related software/feature crap you do not need while you are running a Blender application in the foreground.

TIP-1: Close ALL other applications while rendering.
Moderns versions of the browser Firefox eats tons of RAM-memory

TIP-2: Disconnect your computer physically (WIFI and LAN connections) from internet and…
This reduces your computers need to maintain a network connection (= more render cpu power for you)

TIP-3: Turn OFF all other background applications (like anti-virus, anti-malware stuff, downloads, streamers)
You do not need this when rendering on a perfectly virus-cleaned computer

TIP-4: Tweak your Windows10 down to the bare minimums
So all your present CPU and GPU powers goes to Blender and its rendering engine (instead of all back-ground services and other microsoft widgets)
– Good website for tweaking is this one Black Viper – Windows Tweaking
– Take a look at his Windows 10 guide here: Windows 10 services configuration guide

TIP-5: Migrate to another more stable and lighter Operating System (like Unix / Linux)
Linux comes – (for free) out of the box – lighter, more transparent and is very much more tweak-able to you own needs.
WARNING: Check if you current hardware is Linux-compatible before installing it!

FINAL WORD:
You can first do all this and see how this work out for you, before you start to purchase new hardware.