give us a budget and have a look at my thread.
http://www.ecocitycraft.com/forum/threads/wanna-build-a-pc-350-15000-part-lists-shown.62695/

 

Certain 3D design softwares are optimized for certain brands and models of graphics cards. I would start there to know more about the motherboard requirements you may need.

 

for future reference, a "cd thingy" is known as an optical drive.

Also, im tagging @Thecreator767 as he knows quite a bit about computers (some say too much)

 

rawr, I don't know much about graphics cards, but for 3d design software and moderate gaming, you can probably just fly with a decently powered i3 - i5 intel with a mid-range card which will be fine with 3d design and gaming. On my i3 3240 with integrated graphics win 8.1, I can get up to 70 FPS on decent conditions on ECC. Or you can get AMD's a10 processor which balances graphics with CPU. It will be a little less powerful than an intel, but its integrated graphics will run pretty nice without the extra sound and power use of a dedicated graphics card.

If that made like no sense, basically, you don't really need a mega machine for 3d modeling and gaming, a i3/i5 with a mid-range dedicated graphics will run exceptionally well assuming you're not playing mega games. (or an AMD a10 chip which will create less sound than a dedicated graphics card) and I don't know very much about graphics cards xD

 

I do!

For lower end gaming I would suggest the Gforce 600 series, but if you're willing to spend a little more, I would try to get the Gforce 700 series. The 700 series can run almost every game well, and the 600 series can handle most games, but it can only barly handle hardcore games like crysis 3 and planetside

 

are you against building your own?

An GTX 670 or 680 can handle crysis just fine. an GTX 770 is a rebadged 680 and GTX 760 is similar to an 670.

 

here is a best bang for the buck setup with a nice case. You can save a few bucks on the case. The motherboard is a no frills no nonsense board.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($188.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97M Anniversary Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($86.97 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($76.50 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X 4GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 350D MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH16NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $957.37
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-07 21:42 EDT-0400

 

http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/desktops/lenovo/k-series/k450e/
This lenovo desktop will suit your needs very well. Intel's latest HD 4600 graphics are comparable, but a little less powerful than some mid-range cards and the i7 will completely destroy your everyday tasks. It should be able to run autodesk, games, etc... very well. Also, lenovo's keyboards are very nice for typing ;)

• 4th Generation Intel Core i7-4790 Processor (3.60GHz 1600MHz 8MB)

• - Operating system

• Windows 8.1 64

• - Graphics

• Intel® HD Graphics 4600

• - Memory

• 16.0GB PC3-12800 DDR3 SDRAM 1600 MHz

• - Hard Drive

• 2TB 7200 RPM + 8GB SSHD

• - Optical Drive

• DVD Recordable

• - Network Card

• Broadcom 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi wireless

• - Warranty

• One year

• - Pointing device

• Optical ScrollPoint

• - Keyboard

• USB Keyboard

• - Card Reader

• 7-in-1 Card Reader

-Tons of RAM (Way more than you'll probably ever need to use)
- very Fast processor (Can probably run circles around your current computer ;) )
-okay graphics, not the best, but it will get the job done
-large capacity storage, but not the fastest in the world
-Okay network card, but if you plan on getting fiber optic instead of Cable or DSL and plan on getting a new AC router, probably not the best card for you.
-Has tons of features including an overclock/standard/powersave switch
-Good keyboard and ports

This computer would probably be a great match for you.