Just got and installed the Q9550, replacing my overclocked E2220.
Overall, I think this will be an easy return. Sure, the Q9550 has 12 times the L2 cache, but the difference only seems nominal in comparison. It's faster, but not by that much of an extent. I thought that Virtual PC would run better but I couldn't notice a difference from my limited testing. Plus, overclocking this thing would take temperatures to 40+.
The E2220, when overclocked, wasn't as fast overall, but it definitely got the job done. Overclocking would set temperatures between 30-34.
What I don't understand is what someone with a Core i7 is doing unless they do very processor-intensive tasks. But that would, I assume, really only apply to video editing or graphic design. All the noobs I meet at the store who buy a Core i7 are just wasting their money. If you want great gaming, put your cash into graphics first. If you want great performance, put your cash into memory.
And thanks to Komet for recommending the E.
