i doubt your cpu is running with some random fan with that kind of overclocking
It's not. I bought a nice $35 fan from microcenter.
if you had invested that money into a better cpu right at the start you would have saved yourself time
No I wouldn't have. At the time, the next step up was $60 more for a 2.4Ghz. I spent $35 for a fan, and have been using a chip at speeds that was triple the price I paid at the time. You are incorrect. I've definitely got my money's worth. Much more actually, as it's nearing upgrade time again.
thus overclocking is silly as there is no actual saving involved.
Sure there is. It depends on what chip you buy and what you expect to get out of it, and at what price. You're a moron if you think otherwise.
boosting your cpu frequency by 50% doesn't result in a 50% faster cpu
I don't think anyone claimed that. I got enough to allow me to watch 1080p out of it. If it was only .01 percent, it's still worth it in my eyes.
the comparisons "doesn't work @ stock" vs. "works perfectly @ overclock" are from my experience more placebo than actual improvement.
Cool. Believe whatever you want guy. I'm just taking from my real world experiences to formulate my opinion. I suggest going to overclock.net, posting that exact post and then come back here and link me to the replies. I'm no expert on overclocking, but I'm pretty sure they'd laugh in your face.