8GB is more than enough RAM for three clients (assuming you don’t have 80 tabs open in chrome or something). So if you’re having problems, you should probably look elsewhere for the bottleneck. Use windows 10 task manager or HWMonitor to see what your CPU and GPU utilization is. If you’re maxing out GPU, try turning down the in-game graphics settings (make sure “Preset Interval” is set to “interval one”). If your maxing out CPU, you can try turning off unnecessary background apps (and services if you are so inclined). It won’t free up a lot of CPU, but if you’re on the cusp, it just might be enough. Also, make sure your GPU and CPU aren’t overheating, which can cause them to throttle (check temps in HWMonitor).
Sounds like Eve-O Preview might be better suited to your monitor situation.
You don’t have to start with a Paladin. You can start with a nightmare (or maybe even a T1 battleship), and then train into the Paly.
And do note that you can test out setups on the test server. In fact, since you already have SP that you can extract, it will make things easier. Plex is seeded for 100 isk on the test server market, which can then be used to buy extractors from the NES. Also, do note that you’ll have to run at 100% influence on the test server. It will make things slightly more difficult, but that’s probably a good thing. If your setup can handle 100% influence, you know that it will be good to go for TQ.
Whatever route you take, you should probably specialize one toon for killing frigs (i.e. a vindi), and another toon for killing cruisers (i.e. a nightmare or paladin). Speaking of which, I have no idea what kind of tank is needed for scouts, so HAC’s and Battlecruisers might even be able to work. Of course, if you also plan on running VG’s or HQ’s with a community, then you’ll probably want to stick with frequently used battleships, as they will allow you to do everything.
If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to ask.