https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ag9uT-E4EIL7dFZPZnR0WVZybGtFWnRKNzdKNm9XOVE#gid=0

But its also only 2.5lbs and costs $45. I can get same amount from optimum nutrition for the same price. Tbh I would rather just spent the money saved from buying a cheaper protein on creatine which probably helps just as much when it comes to working out

creatine monohydrate is a whole other beast - i would never compare it with any protein in relation to how the aforementioned supplements would effect your workout. they are two vastly different products.

This is what I use.
Don't buy the 5lb tubs, you'll hate the taste of nearly any flavor you get after drinking it for so long.
Cookies and Cream and Chocolate are horrible, but I've been drinking the Vanilla for a while, and you kind of get used to semen looking water, as well as the taste.

This one though, I highly recommend.

Edit

Yep, where I found out about it.

I'm not saying that he should take only one, but not the other. I'm suggesting that he can save money by selecting a cheaper protein supplement and using the amount he has saved to purchase something that will help just as much while still coming out ahead

whey protein isolates are generally much more expensive than general blends like ON's gold standard. it's refined and just simply protein.

You're right, scientifically speaking one should be better than the other, but I've taken both for the exact same duration and I honestly did not notice any significant difference between the two other than the fact that one is $37 more expensive. And in the end it the kind of protein you take is not going to make the most difference obviously, its all in the kinds of food you eat. So personally I would rather use that 37$ on vitamins, other supplements, or even one week worth of food

Protein supplements for me at least are pretty much worthless. The majority of Americans get more protein than they need and eating more does not do much. They could be extremely useful if you stick to a vegetarian diet. High carb diet is what I eat for swimming and it works out really well.

While we're on the topic, would you guys recommend any other supplement than whey protein for someome who's been working out for ~8 months and trying to gain?

No

protein =/= creatine.

for fastest results you can take both. (note that creatine occurs naturally in your body)
To put it in basic terms, creatine simply creates water weight.

Platinum HydroWhey It's like the best one imo!!
Supercharged Strawberry tastes nice!!
But... Its quite expensive!!

I use isopure mixed with Greek yogurt, best thing ever.

I swim several times a week and while I'm no expert on body building / muscle gaining (I'm not a big dude), I do know that when I first started swimming I used to get really sore the next day, but if I'd had a whey protein shake straight after the swim, I'd feel perfectly fine.

One thing I would recommend is to buy it online instead of a retail store. I don't know what it's like in the US, but the markup here is ridiculous. I bought a bag of protein for about 1/10th of the cost, it tasted nicer and as far as I could tell, it was equally effective (if not more so).

Having said all this, I haven't been on protein for a couple of months now as I'm not really training hard, but when I get back to being more serious, I'll get back on it :)

Blend a cow.

All jokes aside a lot of protein powders are very similar but eventually for some of the bigger ones you do start paying for a name. If you are gonna go 'off-brand' be careful you might just end up wasting money.

Also I would recommend protein porridge. Stuff tastes good and does help a lot, but you may be sacrificing safe pooping (depends on your metabolism)

Not true nor concurred by any professional nutritionist worth their salt. Your brofessor seems a bit misled.

Meal replacement =/= protein shake, but a "protein drink" that's 110 calories a serving that ends up being 36% fat and 48% protein it's barely worth writing home about.

Anyway to OP, first thing to do is make sure your diet is in check and relate it to what your goals are, this is the dependent on how you train, how hard you train and how often you train. Remember the purpose of supplements is in the name, the meat and veg of your diet should be meat and veg (and some clean carbs like brown rice, oats or pasta too).

Second, do some research to find what will suit your requirements first. This isn't very daunting as the categories are pretty different from each other, not hard to research and most of them within each category are able to do the job you set out to accomplish.

Last, have a look at everything else. Taste, price, availability etc. For what it's worth you could find buying some unflavoured whey and flavouring the shakes yourself to be a better option for you.

Or just buy some chocolate ON and be done with it.

creatine does a bit more than just create water weight (which is miniscule to begin with if you are drinking enough water) and again, is not really comparable to just a protein powder. here is a examine.com overview if you'd like to read up more about it: http://examine.com/supplements/Creatine/