Is My Intel i5 Bottlenecking My New RX 9070 XT?

It really depends on what games you're playing. A good first step is to monitor your GPU usage during gameplay. If it's near 100%, you're likely GPU-limited, which means an upgrade wouldn't help much. If it's frequently below that, then you're CPU-limited and an upgrade could definitely help. Just keep in mind the i7-14700 isn't a huge leap over the i5-12400.

Honestly, your i5 is a bit on the weaker side compared to the 9070 XT. A CPU upgrade would definitely help reduce the bottleneck you're experiencing.

From what I've seen, if you're getting around 100fps with a higher-tier CPU, you may lose about 15fps with a weaker CPU. So, if you’re averaging about 50-60fps, then yes, upgrading your CPU would be beneficial. But if you’re already hitting around 250fps, then you might not need to spend a ton on upgrades; your setup might be just fine!

Any hardware setup will have some degree of bottleneck. When you upgrade, it improves performance mainly because the new part is better, not just to eliminate bottlenecks. The i7-14700 would definitely be a match for your 9070 XT, but know that you can't completely remove bottlenecks; you can only reduce them. Also, make sure to check for any Intel microcode updates for better stability on your board.