Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super – This is an interesting product with an entry-level configuration. Firstly, it is an upgraded version of the GTX 1660. In addition, its performance is as good as the GTX 1660 Ti’s. So the latter one becomes almost irrelevant when it comes to comparing.
Advantages:
- Budget price
- No overheating
- Proper performance
Disadvantages:
- RT cores unavailable
- Small choice of ports
We’ve been observing Nvidia Turing being exposed on the market for several years now. So the product lineup has grown significantly in comparison to the starting point. The item in our review is a sequel to the immensely popular GTX 1660. A huge amount of gamers chose it for their PCs. All thanks to its successful combination of enticing price and decent performance.
The original GTX 1660 was a great decision for those who needed to handle 1080p games. It also didn’t lose in performance and was cheaper than the category average price. And now we, finally, have the GTX 1660 Super with GDDR6 memory. With this upgrade, the item is faster and only a little bit pricier.
The processing speed of the product in our review is pretty fast. It is only one step behind the GTX 1660 Ti. Therefore, if you need a 1080p graphics card, this may be the best option currently among the best gaming graphics cards.
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super – Prices
As of today, the item’s price equals $379 on Amazon. This is only around $10 more expensive than the original product – GTX 1660. However, with the new GDDR6 memory it gets a huge performance uplift. The price just increases insignificantly.
Besides, even the GTX 1660 Ti is a worse choice in this price category. GTX 1660 Super provides similar characteristics and efficiency, but it saves you around $50. Back in the day, we would’ve certainly recommended the 1660 Ti model without scruple.
Nevertheless, it’s not a smart decision anymore when we have the 1660 Super variation. The Ti is just not necessary from now on.
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Specs
Below you’ll find the configuration of this model – Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super:
| Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stream processors | 1 408 | 1 408 | 1 536 | 896 |
| Texture units | 88 | 88 | 96 | 56 |
| ROP Units | 48 | 48 | 48 | 32 |
| Base clock | 1.530 MHz | 1.530 MHz | 1.500 MHz | 1.485 MHz |
| Boost clock | 1.785 MHz | 1.785 MHz | 1.770 MHz | 1.665 MHz |
| Video memory | 6 GB GDDR6 | 6 GB GDDR5 | 6 GB GDDR6 | 4 GB GDDR5 |
| Memory speed | 14 Gbps | 8 Gbps | 12 Gbps | 8 Gbps |
| Power connectors | 1 x 8 - pin | 1 x 8 - pin | 1 x 8 - pin | N/A |
The device has the same base of TU116 GPU as other models in the lineup. At the same time, it is equipped with 1408 CUDA cores, similar to the original 1660. However, there’s one noticeable difference. The upgraded version has GDDR6 memory. It raises the velocity from 8 to 14 Gbps. The RTX 2080’s VRAM runs at this exact speed as well.
The GDDR6 upgrade is an important step. It perfectly fits between the 1660 and 1660 Ti models.
There is also another significant aspect. The item in our review doesn’t provide tensor cores and the RT. You might expect them after getting familiar with the Turing RTX 20 series. That is to say, any game becomes a slideshow while you have ray tracing. For example, we experienced playing Metro Exodus with ray tracing on. Even the menu turned out to be almost impossible to use.
However, the items from this price category aren’t supposed to be flawless. We don’t expect the same capacity as we see in much more expensive models. Neither GTX 1660 nor 1660 Ti had RT cores. No wonder, we don’t find them in the Super version.
Among other specific nuances, we would also mention a limited number of ports. After testing EVGA GTX 1660 Super SC Ultra we only found DisplayPort, HDMI, and DVI. Surely enough, this is not the type of graphics card you’d use with multiple screens. Nevertheless, It’d be better to replace the DVI port with something more useful, like USB-C. A second HDMI output would be fine, too.
Lastly, this item requires additional power to handle. In our case, it’s an 8-pin PCIe power cable. That is to say, 1660 Super needs 127.4 watts for work. Therefore, you have to have at least a 500 watts power station.
GTX 1660 Performance
To be honest, this Super version evolved great interest in us. Especially when we compared it to similar products in the category. During the Time Spy testing, it performed around 5% worse than 1660 Ti. But the Ti is more expensive and has a 14% higher speed than the GTX 1660.
The latter one was, in fact, replaced by the Ti version. The difference wasn’t so noticeable in the Fire Strike test. Our device only lost 2% to the 1660 Ti.
This state of affairs went on as we ran computer games. Playing Metro Exodus with 1080p resolution had the graphics card work at 41 FPS. The previous 1660 version did 38 FPS versus 44 FPS of the Ti. You might think there’s no big difference, but it matters.
Afterward, we took to the less challenging game, Middle Earth. Our card handled the task with no seeming difficulties at all. It showed 79 FPS with the Ultra settings on. In our opinion, this game is typical among the AAA standard.
That’s why you can expect supreme performance in the majority of games. Basically, there are not a lot of games out there similar to Metro. Such releases happen rarely.
The Super version is able to perform on a fairly good level at 1440p as well. However, that’s where the first obstacles come out on the scene. The card presented 54 FPS with Middle Earth running, but the result was drastically different in Metro. It fell to 32 FPS. Technically speaking, this figure allows for playing.
However, it’s not a decent result for a gaming PC. As we all know, the common standard equals 60 FPS. Anyway, you can always experiment with settings. It’s a great way to find a comfortable playing mode for yourself.
From the point of view of the budget gaming niche, this card includes all necessary. It’s a perfect item to close the stand between the 1660 and 1660 Ti. Essentially, Ti becomes obsolete even with approximate data. It’s hard to say what Nvidia intended to do here. However, the outcome is fairly good.
Gaming Graphics Card GeForce GTX 1660: Summary
The Super version is a perfect option for those interested in 1080p resolution gaming. Without exaggeration, the original 1660 version was the best in the budget sector. Now the company is constantly improving it in all possible ways.
The Super series created by Nvidia was incredibly popular among users all over the world. Especially in contrast with the previous RTX failure. Keeping all that in mind, we would definitely recommend buying the 1660 Super.
At the end of the day, 1080p resolution is the most commonly used in games. Most players normally prefer buying the graphics cards of this exact price category. In other words, Nvidia is now a giant in the gaming industry. And, surely, it will do its best to keep this position for a long time.
Final score: 8.3
We can definitely call the Super version a leader among entry-level items of the sort. Firstly, it surpasses the original card. Secondly, it matches the Ti. That means, the latter becomes completely irrelevant to taking part in the competition.
Reviews of other Nvidia GeForce models:
Nvidia GeForce GTX 3090 review
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 review
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti review
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 review
Video-review on gaming graphics card Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super – More Power, More Performance
FAQ About Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super
The item perfectly suits the preferences of a budget gamer. It is based on the original 1660 version and has some proper upgrades. This is a more powerful device with higher performance. At the same time, it still fits in the budget category on the market.
You can buy this budget device today for $379. With all the capacity and overall performance, we consider it an absolutely fair price. The item is just $10 more expensive than the previous 1660. However, it has multiple tweaks and improvements by developers.
Technically, it can load 4k games. However, the result is hardly satisfying. You’ll definitely have to lower graphic settings. If you want a decent frame rate on your PC, we recommend choosing another option. But the price, of course, will be higher.
The device is in line with the budget gamer’s wishes and expectations. If you don’t plan to run 4k computer games, then it’s your choice. It performs very well and has a reasonable price. That’s why it remains a proper option for gaming, even in 2023.
In our opinion, the closest rival of 1660 Super is AMD Radeon RX Vega 56. Its performance is pretty similar and the price is also comparable to the Nvidia product. In the budget segment of the gaming industry, these two items are running neck and neck.
The Review
Gaming graphics card Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super
PROS
- Budget price
- No overheating
- Proper performance
CONS
- RT cores unavailable
- Small choice of ports
Best buy
Amazon
Walmart
Gaming graphics card Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super Review gaming graphics card is a great option for 1080p gaming. The original version of the 1660 was the best in the budget sector
Product SKU: GTX 1660
Product Brand: Nvidia
Product Currency: $
Product Price: 379
Price Valid Until: 2023-04-23
Product In-Stock: InStock
8.3
