Best Samples will always win. Take a look at previous MOA/GOOC winners and see where they are among the rankings, not at the top. Thats the way it is, thats the way it will be. Companies will just have to add extra steps now and test bclk and imc more as well as igpu(yuck).
People say manufacturers are killing OC is crazy. They are making it alot easier for you and I software control, in house overclocking staff on the payroll, guides etc. Might make you feel less manly but guess what? people want simple and its helping to get people to give OC a shot. Before it was like okay maybe by doing a cap mod I can get a little bit more out of it, or if I tune in that OCP mod a little tighter I can get a bit more but now its the best caps, auto OCP bios etc and pretty much if you have a middle school education you can get the most out of a card (there are some tricks but for the most part you get the idea) that is why people feel they have to bin now.
Pro-leauge will not get you fully sponsored. If you think by busting your ass for years and staying in the top 10 of the pro league will open up a sea of hardware and samples it wont. And why would it? Every company already has its bencher and apart from reviewers they dont need you! sorry to dissapoint you but its true.
I can get on board with the challenge based quarterly events. I think it would save me alot of money in GPU's but guess what? You have to bin, its just the way it is now and thats a fact. Benching is not an investment and its costs money to play. Will I get stomped every quarter by the big guns? Yes probably but if Im doing something I enjoy then who cares right? End of the day its still a hobby.
Low clock is not an option. Short of having some sort of OS locked cpu speed control or competition spec'd motherboards that have locked limits this will never work.
In order for us to grow, and this website to grow we need simplicity...not loop holes that you learn over time...not a 100 page rules book...something your mom and dad would understand, and Im still wondering if this revision is helping or hurting, change it not always good and it seems each revision more and more people are turned off...I guess we will find out soon.