Building a gaming PC in Australia has always cost more than it should. Between the Australia tax, shipping fees, and limited local stock, it’s easy to blow your budget before you’ve even picked a GPU. I’ve built more rigs than I can count over the years, and I still get asked the same question: how do I do this without getting ripped off?

Here’s the honest answer, updated for what the market looks like heading into 2026.

Set a realistic budget first

Before you look at a single part, figure out what you’re actually willing to spend. In Australia right now, a solid 1080p gaming PC starts around $1,200 AUD. For 1440p at high settings, you’re looking at $1,800 to $2,200. If you want 4K or high refresh rate competitive gaming, budget $2,500 and up.

These numbers don’t include a monitor, keyboard, or mouse. Factor those in if you’re starting from scratch.

Where to buy parts

Your main options in Australia are:

• PCCaseGear (Melbourne-based, great range, reliable shipping)
• Scorptec (solid stock, physical stores in Melbourne and Sydney)
• Umart (Brisbane and other QLD locations, decent prices)
• Amazon AU (sometimes cheaper on specific items, watch for third-party sellers)
• StaticICE (price comparison site — use this before every purchase)

Don’t buy from international sites unless you’re absolutely sure about warranty. Australian Consumer Law gives you strong protections on local purchases. That disappears when you order from Newegg US or random Amazon US sellers.

The parts that matter most

GPU first. This is where most of your budget should go. As of late 2025, the NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti and AMD RX 7700 XT sit in the sweet spot for 1440p gaming. If you can stretch to an RTX 4070 Super, do it — it’s got legs for years. Don’t buy last-gen unless the discount is at least 35 percent.

CPU second. AMD’s Ryzen 5 7600 or Intel’s i5-14400F are both excellent for gaming and won’t bottleneck any current GPU. Don’t overspend here. The difference between a mid-range and high-end CPU in gaming performance is tiny.

RAM. 32GB of DDR5 is the new standard. Don’t buy 16GB — games are already pushing past it, and the price difference isn’t worth the headache of upgrading later.

Storage. Get a 1TB NVMe SSD as your boot and main games drive. Add a 2TB SATA SSD for your overflow library. Games are enormous now, and you’ll fill 1TB faster than you think.

PSU. Don’t cheap out here. Get an 80+ Gold rated unit from a reputable brand. 650W is fine for most builds. 750W if you’re running a power-hungry GPU.

Common mistakes to avoid

Overspending on the motherboard. You don’t need a $400 board for a gaming PC. A solid B650 (AMD) or B760 (Intel) board will do everything you need.

Buying a fancy case before sorting airflow. That tempered glass tower looks great until your components are thermal throttling. Make sure your case has good front-to-back airflow. The Fractal Pop Air and Corsair 4000D are proven performers.

Forgetting about the monitor. A $2,000 PC pushing frames to a 60Hz 1080p monitor from 2018 is a waste. Budget for at least a 1440p 144Hz display if you’re building a mid-range or better system.

Ignoring sales cycles. EOFY sales, Black Friday, and Boxing Day consistently have the best prices in Australia. If you can wait for one of these windows, you’ll save 10 to 20 percent on your total build.

Assembly tips

If it’s your first build, watch a full build guide on YouTube before you start. Rix’s recommendations: JayzTwoCents and Gamers Nexus for detailed builds, Linus Tech Tips for the general overview.

Take your time. Read the motherboard manual. Don’t force anything — if a connector doesn’t fit easily, you’re probably putting it in wrong.

Cable management doesn’t affect performance, but it makes your life easier when you need to swap something later. Spend the extra twenty minutes.

Final thought

Building a PC in Australia isn’t cheap, but it doesn’t have to be a money pit either. Do your research on StaticICE, buy from local retailers, and don’t chase specs you don’t need. A well-built mid-range system will handle everything the Australian gaming scene throws at it.