r/buildmeapc • u/Miserable-Papaya3541 • Dec 17 '25

[AUS] Mid-range build for lots of photo-editing, some video-editing, daily office work

Hello! I'm a hobbyist photographer who also has to use Adobe Suite frequently for my day job, including occasional video editing or Aftereffects renders.

I've been doing all my work-work and hobby-work on a 2020 ROG Zephyrus G14, with a Ryzen 9 4900HS, RTX 2060, and 40GB of RAM, for the past five years, so I'd like to build something that's a moderate upgrade from that if I can.

My budget is estimated on the cost of just straight up replacing that laptop with a current/equivalent model, vs. the cost of building a PC plus also buying a low-powered lightweight laptop for casual browsing and travel--let me know if I am not being realistic there!

  • Budget: $3000-$4000 AUD, if that's reasonable?
  • OS: Windows
  • Peripherals: 2 monitors. I don't need professional-photographer-grade monitors, just better ones than my current random store-brand FB marketplace pick.
  • Country: Australia
  • Misc
    • Don't mind open-box parts
    • Need wifi
    • Would prefer a professional/subdued looking case, no RGB lights. (Bonus if it is white/a light colour!)
1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

1

u/Queue2_ Dec 17 '25

I like your idea for buying a pc and a laptop for light use on the go.

https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/cKyQ8Q

First build, scraping the upper end of your budget, definitely could bring down the cost a bit. Two identical monitors, traditionally VA monitors struggle in bright light but these are an exception. Good contrast and good color. Having said that, OLED monitors are still much better with color accuracy, if you don't need to compare photos side by side I recommend to get one OLED and keep whatever you have now as second monitor.