How do you assemble a computer in 2021?

Question

I have assembled my last "gaming" rig in 2010, and have used laptops ever since. I'm now looking into assembling a new desktop computer, and I don't know where to start. Is there a 2021-updated resource that could provide some guidance?I though of playing PC Building Simulator https://store.steampowered.com/app/621060/PC_Building_Simulator/ before building the real thing, but I don't know how realistic it is (perhaps very?).

sodality2 · Accepted Answer

My advice is you watch a youtube build guide from this year, at around the price point you want. That game is sort of realistic, but nothing beats watching someone do it in real life (then being able to do it in real life). You don't have to get identical parts to the one in the youtube guide, but maybe the big stuff like the mobo/case (CPU and GPU, as long as they're compatible with the mobo and roughly match in processing power, can be different from the video).What's your price point? pcpartpicker.com is a great resource for getting a parts list at your price range, because you pick every part and it only shows you compatible parts.

em10fan · Answer

Basically the same as in 2010, except disks are now commonly NVM/.M2 rather than regular SATA, and SSDs are a lot cheaper.