Help to eliminate GPU bottleneck, one step at a time!

[supermade]

This site has help me build my system from the ground up. Unfortunately, a few components are out dated. I hope to receive more assistance before buying aimlessly newer parts to replace older parts, to ensure that my new GPU is not being and/or limiting bottlenecking.

So this questions/thread is about steps I can take(or anyone) that can help remove the bottlenecking of my GPU.

From what I've researched, potentially 2 things need to be addressed in my system to successfully eliminate bottlnecking of my GPU, but before I do this, I want to ask for help to make sure that if these are replaced with more "high-end" components, if it will eliminate/limit bottlenecking. I only have 1 PCI-E x16 and was hoping to get this GPU in to a PCI-E 2.0.

The 2 things are:

1)Motherboard (GIGABYTE G31M-S2)
2)RAM (Crucial Ballistix 4 GB (2x2 GB) DDR2-800)

Can these two components in sync bottleneck my GPU? I'm very limited in OC settings in my BIOS, but the FSB : RAM ratio is 1:1. I cannot control timing for the RAM and I cannot change the PCI Express frequency to 100 in BIOS. Is my system hopeless with the Q9550 @3.4ghz/3.6ghz (with better RAM)?

COMP SPECS:
OS: Windows 7 64bit Professional
Processor: Core2Quad Q9550 OC'd @ 3.4ghz (Can OC to 3.6ghz, but limited by RAM)
RAM: Crucial Ballistix 4 GB (2x2 GB) DDR2-800 (FSBRAM 1:1)
GRAPHICS: MSI n560GTX Ti 448 Cores
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127615
PSU: Corsair TX650M
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139031&Tpk=N82E16817139031
Heatsink & Fan: COOLER MASTER V6 GT

Unless it is recommended, I don't want to upgrade on my processor because with proper cooling, it can compete with higher end i7, of course with suitable components.

3D Mark 11 benchmark scores are at 4999 and it is telling me that the GPU is under performing.

Please, recommendations as to what to buy/replace/upgrade, is GREATLY appreciated.

 

[Kari]

if you check out ORB, P5000 is exactly what you should be getting with q9550 and 560ti448
http://3dmark.com/search?resultTypeId=232&linkedDisplayAdapters=1&cpuModelId=75&chipsetId=757&page=2
remember, most of the top scores are overcloked to hell and back P

edit lol looks like it isn't called Online Result Browser anymore...

 

[Kari]

so to get better scores you'd need faster, current gen cpu, (and that means new mobo and ram as well...)

 

[supermade]

I was unaware that I was able to compare scores of other users' run's.

That comparison feature helps me out greatly.

Any recommendations of MOBO and RAM?

 

[refillable]

Under $500, you can get these to get rid of bottleneck:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128478
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104173