I'm building a multipurpose PC with a budget of $3,000 AUD, and I'm located in Australia. I don't need any peripherals. Music production is the priority: I use Reaper, Ableton, Studio One, and several audio interfaces. My projects range from lightly editing vocal tracks to 30-plus-track sessions with plugins such as Helix Native, Serum, and other demanding effects.
I'd also like to move beyond older games and indie titles, since my current GTX 1050 struggles with modern games. For 3D work, I use Blender for modelling and kitbashing, and Autodesk Fusion for practical designs such as jigs, tools, and custom storage for 3D printing.
My main display is 2560×1440 at up to 120 Hz, though I sometimes use a 3840×2160 television as a second display. I usually have several USB devices connected, many of which benefit from high-current USB ports, although I could use a powered hub. I don't want RGB, and I generally prefer AMD.
I'm mainly looking for a sensible starting point or complete baseline build so I can research the parts more effectively. I'm happy to build the PC myself if that helps maximize performance.
3 Answers
A Ryzen 7 7800X3D with a B650 motherboard, 32GB of DDR5-6000 memory, a Radeon RX 9070, a 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, and an 850W power supply should fit under $3,000 AUD if you assemble it yourself. That would give you excellent 1440p gaming performance while also providing a strong platform for Blender and music production.
For a mixed gaming and productivity system, an Intel Core i5-14600 with 32GB of DDR4 and either an RX 9070 XT or RTX 5070 offers strong value. If you want a newer upgrade path, an AM5 setup with a Ryzen 5 7500F and DDR5 is another good option. At this budget, you can afford a high-end GPU while still choosing a capable CPU, fast storage, and a reliable power supply.
A balanced AMD DDR5 build would work well here: pair a modern Ryzen processor with a B650 board, 32GB of RAM, a capable 16GB graphics card, and at least 1TB of NVMe storage. A 16GB GPU is particularly useful for Blender scenes and textures, while a card around the RX 9070 or RTX 5070 class should handle 1440p gaming comfortably. Choose a case with good airflow and no built-in lighting, and make sure the motherboard has enough rear USB connectivity for your audio equipment. If storage or CPU performance matters more than gaming, stepping down to an RX 9060 XT 16GB could free budget for a larger SSD or a stronger processor.
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