Poor performance from a high-end build?

[Astralen]

I'm not too familiar with overclocking. I wouldn't mind trying it though.

Go right ahead. Your CPU definitly wouldn't mind some overclocking. Just make sure you buy a decent CPU cooler like Thermalright Silver Arrow and check the internet for guidelines on how to overklock (voltages and stuff).

Don't O/C your CPU isn't meant for o/c, you'll burn out your cpu causing it to process much slower in the future.

Stop posting shit that ain't true man or stop smoking whatever you're smoking.
My 3570K is happily spinning at 4.4GHz and I could probably manage 4.5GHz with some tuning.
The lifespan of an overclocked CPU does indeed decrease a bit faster than CPUs that are not overclocked though. This does not mean that the CPU gets roasted after 1, 2 or even 3 years of running OCed.