Gaming Intel cpu

[Sasso]

getting a bit confused because reading reviews and listening to my mates im getting completely different answers building my self a new pc which will be for gaming (crysis, UT3) and also using autocad and finite element software. now heres the confusing part, origionally i was going to get a E2180 and overclock it to about 3.2GHz (well hopefully), but now the E2200 is out so thinking of getting that instead, but my mates are saying im stupi becasue it only has 1mb of cache, and they are saying i should go for a E6550 beasuse its got the 4mb of cache which is needed for gaming, but dunno if they know what they are talking about or they just assume that bigger is better the price of the E2200 really appeals to me cos its nice and cheap and sounds like u can get a lot from it by overclocking, but will it just be bottle necking the 8800gts 512mb? so does the ammount of cache really matter all that much? would it be better by spending the extra on a E6550?

 

[Sasso]

If you're going to buy a E21xx and overclock it then don't pay the extra for the E2200. Just get a 2160 or 2180 and ramp up the speed

but wouldnt it be better because the E2200 has 11x multiplyer so should be easier to get higher clocks whilst keeping the temp lower from the reduced fsb?

 

[Sasso]

anyone know how the E2180/2200 run on crysis and UT3? cos i dont wana buy it and then find its pants running them

 

[Sasso]

ahhh cool thats good to know what about with cad drawings and element mesh's? doing engineering and sometime the mesh files get pretty dam big.

 

[Sasso]

if the programs used for cad support quad core then it might be worth getting one for it.

afraid u might say that just so much more to fork out lol

 

[Sasso]

ah cool yea think ill just get the E2200 for now, can also post my clocking for it and give back some info