I normally use monohydrate, but I've been reading about CEE giving the same benefits as monohydrate with minimal water retention, so I figured it was worth a shot.
Well, fluid retention is basically creatine's primary mechanism. The benefit is that a great deal of it happens inside the muscle cells rather than just the subcutaneous. Take a look through some of the threads linked in the creatine sticky at the top of this board. There've been some good discussions concerning different creatine products - including lots of personal experience.
The consensus usually seems to be the notion that "creatine is creatine is creatine..."
It may not benefit you to spend the extra money on a product like CEE. Or, maybe it will. Do some research to make an educated prediction before deciding either way. I just don't want to see you get burned.
I tried several different creatine formulas years ago. Believe it or not, I'm getting better results now with plain old monohydrate. This is the first time I've used the basic form, but I suspect it is the WAY I'm taking it
(carb timing) that is giving me the benefits.