Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?
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Notes -
Can you say what the CAD program is? SolidWorks has drastically greater requirements than FreeCAD which has greater requirements than OnShape, and the closer you get to (or above) the first side of things, the more it's going to control your requirements.
For RAM, I'd suggest a minimum of 16GB and ideally 32GB for your use case, with a minimum of two sticks (because of how DDR works, there's a significant performance penalty to 1x32GB vs 2x16GB). Given current RAM prices, I'd personally want to wait for later and upgrade when RAM prices drop - it is the single easiest component to upgrade - but I recognize that may not be possible for your use case. Still, be aware of things like how many slots your motherboard has and what max memory the CPU supports: a motherboard with support for four sticks of RAM gives you a lot more options even if you think your starting value is good.
I'd recommend the desktop-and-disposable-laptop combo, unless you have strong business requirements for CAD-on-the-go. You can get a well-refurbed ThinkPad T480 or E15 around 300 USD; getting a powerful desktop's equivalent specs on a laptop will cost you much than that, and will be a much worse use experience at the desktop, and be harder to maintain.
I'd also consider whether you want a pre-build, or want to build your own. Most prebuilt gaming machines are going to optimize for a use case that isn't yours: gaming generally favors more GPU and less RAM than even the SolidWorks use case will want, and many CAD programs are (still) extremely single-thread-heavy in ways that gaming has largely moved away from. That said, there's not a massive price penalty compared to the same CAD performance in new workstation machines. Building your own can save more money (though it will probably take some careful looking at mobo-cpu-ram combos right now), but it does mean following the instructions or video guides carefully, and using a tool like PCPartPicker to keep an eye on compatibility problems.
I'll... also caution that trying to future-proof for five years is doable and probably easy, ten years is plausible, and fifteen years is an exercise in frustration. The Computer Of The Future in 2011 would have involved a 80GB-256GB SSD for your operating system drive, a first-generation Core i7, and 8-16GB RAM. I actually managed a handful of these for office work, and even without the CAD requirements, they bogged down bad by 2020, and that's with repasting, cleaning, dusting, drive upgrades, and psu replacements.
Thanks for the detailed response!
I have previously been using an old non-subscription version of AutoCAD, but I’m not sure the budget will support paying for a subscription moving forward, so I’ll need to switch to something free/cheaper. I was thinking most likely FreeCAD.
Also, I’ve never built a PC before, but the actual process doesn’t seem very difficult; rather, it seems that the difficulty is in knowing what parts to pick. Between your and others’ advice, netstack’s link, and PCPartPicker, that aspect seems to largely be covered. I’m open to either buying a prebuilt or building from parts though.
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