I don't understand how your arguments are any different from mine.
you're whining here about this MSI contest not being open to none-MSI benchers, while I explain to you the reasoning behind it, where you reply that you agree with this and then you post an alternative idea, which I agree with, but put into more realistically numbers, to which you now say "I don't understand how your arguments are any different from mine." and then you blunder your way into "Since these events are PR only, it's important to make it more accesible".

having people win MSI qualifiers with none-MSI hardware in a PR event where the aim is to sell MSI OC gear, doesn't really compute

a) Open qualifiers = more entrants = more exposure
b) Open qualifiers = best scores go through to next round = better benchers go through => higher level of competition in the next round
a) exposure comes AFTER the qualifiers; not during.
b) they don't care who gets through to the finals, doesn't matter how "tough" the competition is;

you are listing reason PRO end-user. companies have nothing to gain in PR with "open qualifiers" as you say



disclaimer: Massman & Me are friends, we have worked together and know each other for more than 3 years now, I'm not attacking him