Comparative test of NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti video cards by ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte and Inno3D. Without excess?

Contents:

Comparison of reference characteristics of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, GTX 1660 Ti, GTX 1660 and GTX 1070 video cards

Summary table of characteristics of video cards based on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti presented in the test

ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition graphics card

MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GAMING X 6G graphics card

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti WINDFORCE OC 6G video card

Inno3D GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Twin X2 video card

Description of the test bench and testing methodology

Histograms with test results and conclusions

 

The first new generation NVIDIA video cards with Turing architecture (RTX 2080 Ti, RTX 2080, RTX 2070, RTX 2060) received a lot of criticism. The advantages of tensor and RT core technologies turned out to be, at least, controversial, but led to a significant increase in the complexity and cost of video cards.

 

You can read more about this in our material dedicated to video cards based on RTX 2070.

 

A distinctive feature of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti series video cards, presented in February 2019, from its older brothers is the absence of the “notorious” tensor cores andRT cores, but the architecture of the GPU is the same – Turing. This made the video card much more attractive in cost

 

The prefix GTX, not RTX, in the name GTX 1660 Ti is another detail indicating the absence of RT cores.

 

Accordingly, models based on the GTX 1660 Ti do not have hardware support for Ray Tracing and do not support the DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) anti-aliasing method.

 

How critical is the lack of these technologies? It’s not that important at the moment. Even on top RTX graphics cards, activating Ray Tracing can cause performance to drop below a comfortable level. Therefore, the presence of RT cores in weaker video cards is rather nominal. And that’s not to mention that the image using Ray Tracing doesn’t look radically better in most cases.

 

The spread of DLSS in games is still very modest.

 

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti features and positioning

 

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti video cards conditionally belong to the middle class and replace very successful models of the previous generation based on GTX 1060.

 

The manufacturer (NVIDIA) claims a performance increase of up to 50% over the GTX 1060. The new GTX 1660 Ti should be a good competitor to the GTX 1070, which we will see in the test results.

 

In the hierarchy of NVIDIA’s new generation video cards, the GTX 1660 Ti model is located between the slightly more powerful RTX 2060 and the simpler GTX 1660.

 

 

Analyzing the characteristics of the RTX 2060, GTX 1660 Ti, GTX 1660 video cards, you can notice a significant decrease in the size of the GPU crystals of the GTX 1660 Ti, GTX 1660 models, which is mainly due to the lack of tensor and RT cores. And the smaller the area, the lower the cost of chip production, all other things being equal.

 

As in the older NVIDIA models of the new generation, it uses a new 12-nanometer process technology and GDDR6 memory.

 

Please note that the video memory capacity is 6 GB. The same maximum capacity was available in the previous generation GTX 1060 video cards.

 

The TDP power consumption of the GTX 1660 Ti is stated at 120 W. An eight-pin connector is used for additional power.

 

 

The set of video outputs in video cards based on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti from different manufacturers is usually presented in the form of three DisplayPort and one HDMI. If the absence of DVI in older video cards of the new generation is logical, then in this case such a connector would not hurt.

 

The video outputs themselves have become more modern. DisplayPort is now DisplayPort 1.4a, and HDMI is HDMI 2.0b.

 

Given the use of the new architecture, in the GTX 1660 Ti you automatically get new functions related to video codecs, decoding, etc. For example, added support for data compression in the H.265 format (HEVC) in 8K@30 resolution mode, as well as HEVC and H.264 encoding quality has been improved.

 

Test participants

 

Some may have a feeling of déjà vu, because in our previous comparative test of video cards (and then these were models based on the RTX 2070) there were video cards from absolutely the same vendors.

 

So, for a comparative test of video cards based on NVIDIAGTX 1660Ti we managed to assemble ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 video cards Ti OC edition, Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti WINDFORCE OC 6G, Inno3D GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Twin X2, MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GAMING X 6G.

 

 

They differ noticeably in size. There are both very advanced frequency devices with a powerful backlight system, as well as more modest models.

 

Comparative table of characteristics

 

	ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition	Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti WINDFORCE OC 6G	Inno3D GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Twin X2	MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GAMING X 6G
Model ID	ROG-STRIX-GTX1660TI-O6G-GAMING	GV-N166TWF2OC-6GD	N166T2-06D6-1710VA15	—
Supplier	ASUS Representative	Gigabyte Representation	Inno3D representation	MSI Representative
Price (approx), $	405	365	349	403
Specifications
Chipset	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
Chipset process technology, nm	12	12	12	12
Memory type and amount, GB	GDDR6, 6	GDDR6, 6	GDDR6, 6	GDDR6, 6
Cooling system design	branded	branded	branded	branded
Number of cooling fans	3	2	2	2
Number of occupied slots	3	2	2	2
Subjective assessment of cooling noise	Excellent	Okay	Okay	Okay
Nominal GPU frequency	1500	1500	1500	1500
Turbo mode frequency	1860	1845	1770	1875
Memory operating frequency (resulting), MHz	12,000	12,000	12,000	12,000
Memory bus, bit	192	192	192	192
Does it require additional power?	yes	yes	yes	yes
Extra connector type. nutrition	8pin	8pin	8pin	8pin
Highlight	RGB controlled	—	—	RGB controlled
Number of HDMI/DisplayPort/USB Type-C outputs	2/2/0	1/3/0	1/3/0	1/3/0

 

ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition (ROG-STRIX-GTX1660TI-O6G-GAMING)

 

 

 

At the moment, ASUS presents the widest selection of nine models based on the GTX 1660 Ti.

 

The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition participating in the test is the most powerful in the entire GTX 1660 Ti range of the manufacturer.

 

 

The model belongs to the ROG Strix series. ASUS has left the design of video cards in this series virtually unchanged. And the previous generation ROG Strix GTX 10X0 adapters looked about the same.

 

Even for such a relatively economical model as the GTX 1660 Ti, the manufacturer installed a very developed large radiator, penetrated by heat pipes, with three fans.

 

 

 

The result was not long in coming. In terms of cooling efficiency, the ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition was ahead of all other test participants.

 

 

Under load in our conditions, the temperature stabilized at around 60 °C and for this the fans only needed a speed of 950 rpm.

 

It turns out that the graphics card is both well cooled and runs very quietly.

 

When the GPU temperature is low, the fans automatically stop. You won’t be surprised by such a function today.

 

 

Quite expectedly, the graphics adapter received a decent factory overclock. The frequency in Boost mode is 1860 MHz. But the memory frequency corresponds to the reference one.

 

By the way, although the MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GAMING X 6G has a slightly higher Boost frequency, according to test results, it was the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition that turned out to be the fastest video card in the test among other GTX 1660 Ti-based video cards. Although the difference in performance is just negligible. Almost at the level of error.

 

For enthusiasts and overclocking enthusiasts, it will certainly be important that the model allows you to increase the power consumption limit quite significantly (up to 120%) andthis is the only board in the test whereThe GPU is provided with 6-phase power .

 

Traditionally, ASUS ROG Strix models are equipped with a number of interesting additional details.

 

 

The board is equipped with two BIOS chips with slightly modified device operating modes. The Performance option provides increased cooling efficiency, while the Quiet option is designed for quieter operation. The BIOS is selected using a special switch.

 

We carried out all tests in Performance mode.

 

The backlight, if desired, can be completely turned off even without installing the appropriate proprietary software. For this purpose, there is a special button on the board.

 

But that’s not all. Additionally, there is a platform for manually measuring the voltage of RAM, GPU, PLL and a set of contacts for connecting an LED strip and case fans. The rotation speed of these fans can be linked to the GPU temperature.

 

 

The Aura RGB lighting system is quite advanced. Luminous RGB elements are located on the front and side (Republic of Gamers inscription). But there is no glowing logo on the back panel, like, for example, in the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 OC edition.

 

A special proprietary application is provided to control the backlight. Various dynamic effects are available.

 

Note that all illuminated elements change color and glow intensity at the same time. Accordingly, such effects as “snake”, rainbow tints, when different parts of the board have different glow colors are not available here.

 

Still, with backlight solutions that were used in the previous generation of video cards, today it is already quite difficult to compete with advanced models of competitors and the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition, in this regard, is inferior to the MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GAMING X 6G.

 

 

To summarize, we can say that the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition is an interesting option based on the GTX 1660 Ti. It turned out to have the most advanced cooling system and board among all participants; the model provides excellent performance and has a number of additional features that will appeal to enthusiasts.

 

But the cost of ASUS ROG Strix solutions is quite high. But in this case, the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition does not stand out at all compared to, for example, the MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GAMING X 6G.

 

Evaluation of ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition (ROG-STRIX-GTX1660TI-O6G-GAMING)

+ excellent cooling system

+ fans switch off at low load

+ significantly increased GPU frequencies

+ dual BIOS

+ contacts for connecting RGB LED strips and case fans

– quite high cost

– large dimensions
MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GAMING X 6G

 

 

As with the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition, this MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GAMING X 6G video card is the most advanced in the entire line of models based on the GTX 1660 Ti from MSI.

 

 

The GPU Boost frequency is the highest in the test. And the memory operates at a reference 12,000 MHz.

 

As a result, the video card is among the leaders in performance. If we talk about models based on the GTX 1660 Ti, then the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition turned out to be negligibly faster. However, you definitely won’t notice such a difference without special tests.

 

 

For the new generation of video cards MSI has radically changed the design of the MSI GAMING series. The emphasis on red is no longer placed and this is probably due to the use of RGB Mystic Light rather than monochrome red.

 

And I must say that this lighting is very impressive. In terms of advanced lighting effects, this model is superior toASUSROGStrixGeForceGTX 1660 TiOCedition. In operation, the map can shimmer with colors, lights can run along intricate trajectories, flicker in strobe mode, etc.

 

The MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GAMING X 6G is quite large, but everything is within reasonable limits. The device will occupy two expansion slots on the motherboard.

 

The cooling system is advanced. The heat pipes pass through the radiator, which is blown by two large fans with specially designed blades.

 

 

In terms of cooling efficiency, the MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GAMING X 6G is very good. We have no complaints about noise either. But, when compared with the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition, the GPU temperature is slightly higher (65 °C), and the fan speed is slightly higher (1500 rpm).

 

 

GPU power supply is 4-phase. There is an opportunity to increase the power consumption limit during overclocking, but it is not very large (107%).

 

 

 

The MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GAMING X 6G and ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition video cards are the most advanced in the test.

 

With similar prices (at the time of publication), they have approximately the same level of performance. On the side, ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition has a slightly more advanced board and slightly better results from the cooling system. And the backlighting is more interesting on MSI.

 

MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GAMING X 6G rating:

+ good cooling system

+ fans switch off at low load

+ significantly increased GPU frequencies

+ advanced RGB lighting system

– quite high cost
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti WINDFORCE OC 6G (GV-N166TWF2OC-6GD)

 

 

 

The plastic back panel and lack of backlight immediately make it clear that the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti WINDFORCE OC 6G is not as cool as the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition or the MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GAMING X 6G.

 

 

But upon closer acquaintance, you discover that in important parameters it is quite capable of competing with the most advanced test models.

 

 

The video card has a fairly high factory overclock. The GPU boost frequency is 1845 MHz. The memory frequency, like all other participants in the test based on the GTX 1660 Ti, corresponds to the reference one.

 

If you don’t “look at fractions of percent under a magnifying glass,” thenGigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti WINDFORCE OC 6G (GV-N166TWF2OC-6GD) is on par with the leaders in terms of performance.

 

What about cooling?

 

I was somewhat confused by the fact that the plastic casing of the cooling system protrudes quite far beyond the length of the board. The device could easily have been made a few centimeters shorter.

 

 

The CO radiator looks very impressive. The use of special heat pipes with composite materials is claimed. The radiator is blown by large 100 mm fans. Gigabyte continues to use a design in which the fans rotate in different directions. This is said to reduce turbulence in the area between the fans, resulting in more optimal heat dissipation.

 

 

In our test, the GPU temperature reached 63 °C. The fan speed was 1650 rpm. A very good result. It turns out that in terms of cooling efficiency, the model is approximately at the same level as the MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GAMING X 6G.

 

Automatic stopping of fans when the GPU temperature is low is also present here.

 

 

The GPU power supply is 4-phase, but, curiously, the power consumption limit available for increase (up to 123%) is even higher than that of the very powerful ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition.

 

With a comparable level of performance to the powerfulASUS andMSI, effective cooling system, the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti WINDFORCE OC 6G video card turned out to be noticeably more affordable.

 

This is a very interesting option for those who can sacrifice the lack of backlighting, but want to get high performance without overpaying.

 

Rating of Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti WINDFORCE OC 6G (GV-N166TWF2OC-6GD):

+ good cooling system

+ fans switch off at low load

+ significantly increased GPU frequencies

+ good balance of features and cost

– no backlight

– the plastic casing is noticeably longer than the printed circuit board

 

Inno3D GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Twin X2 (N166T2-06D6-1710VA15)

 

 

 

While some manufacturers have already rolled out entire lines of solutions based on the GTX 1660 Ti, Inno3D has only one such model so far.

 

Compared to other participants in the Inno3D test, the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Twin X2 stands out in appearance. This is the most compact video card.

 

 

The design is without any special frills, but the manufacturer still decided to refresh the appearance with a painted back plate, which, by the way, is made of metal.

 

 

 

 

The operating frequencies of the Inno3D GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Twin X2 (N166T2-06D6-1710VA15) are standard. This was reflected in the performance results. The Inno3D graphics card naturally lags behind ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte video cards, which have higher GPU frequencies.

 

But such a lag is measured literally in units of percent.

 

 

With compact sizes, it is more difficult to organize efficient cooling. The fans here are not that big, but the radiator turned out to be difficult. It is quite extensively intertwined with heat pipes.

 

 

The recorded maximum GPU temperature of 66 °C is a good indicator. But to ensure this, the fans spun up to 1900 rpm, which is noticeably higher than that of other participants. The video card is not noisy, but it is louder than other participants in this test of video cards based on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti.

 

It’s nice that the developers did not leave the model without an automatic fan shutdown system. It occurs when the GPU temperature drops below 41 °C.

 

Increasing the power consumption limit is not available here. The initial value of Power Limit is 100% and is the maximum.

 

A nice bonus is the included license keys for the 3DMark and VRMark test applications.

 

 

Inno3D GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Twin X2 (N166T2-06D6-1710VA15) является самой доступной по цене видеокартой на базе GTX 1660 Ti в тесте.

 

This is a good device, but the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti WINDFORCE OC 6G is not much more expensive, but has higher GPU frequencies and more efficient CO.

 

Here it should be additionally noted that the Inno3D GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Twin X2 is just arriving in stores. The indicated price is the level expected at the start of sales.

 

A more significant difference in cost compared to the one specified by Gigabyte can increase the attractiveness of the model for users.

 

Inno3D GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Twin X2 (N166T2-06D6-1710VA15) rating:

+ compact dimensions

+ the most affordable model in the test

+ fans switch off at low load

+ license keys for 3DMark and VRMark test applications included

– reference frequencies

– the cooling system is somewhat inferior to other test participants in terms of efficiency

 

How we tested video cards

 

The video cards worked using the original driver settings; optimized game profiles were not used.

 

Video cards were tested without overclocking and without using proprietary profiles (OC, Gaming, Silence, etc.), which are sometimes available when installing proprietary software.

 

We compared the tested video cards based on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with the previous generation video adapter based on the GTX 1070, played by the MSI GeForce GTX 1070 GAMING X 8G. Please note that the GTX 1070 model used was running at its native clocks, which are higher than the GTX 1070 reference clocks.

 

As test applications to determine the performance of video cards, we used modern games that support DirectX 11 and DirectX 12, which have built-in benchmarks. The program also includes the popular synthetic 3DMark tests.

 

Each game used maximum or close to maximum graphics settings. In games we used resolutions of 1920×1080 and 2560×1440 pixels. In 3DMark 11, video cards were tested with the Extreme preset, and in 3DMark (2013) the Fire Strike Extreme, Fire Strike Ultra, and DirectX 12 Time Spy tests were used.

 

The maximum GPU temperature and system power consumption (without a monitor) were monitored in the game Metro: Last Light. It was in this game that the video cards, according to observations, heated up the most intensely and the maximum energy consumption occurred.

 

The system itself was operated outside the PC case (open stand) at a room temperature of about 21 °C. The noise level created by the operation of video card cooling systems was assessed subjectively.

 

The final score in the “Performance” category was determined based on all tests with an equal contribution from each test. However, when talking about games, to reduce the impact of dependence on the processor, when calculating the overall performance (category “Performance”), only results with a higher resolution of 2560 × 1440 pixels were taken into account

 

Results with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. are provided for information purposes only.

 

Histograms are normalized as percentages, with models sorted by test results. Specific results in the form of points and FPS are also indicated.

 

The cost of video cards is indicated on the database of large online stores (at the time of publication).

Test platform configuration:

Processor: Intel Core i7-3770K, overclocked to 4.4 MHz

Motherboard: Biostar Hi-Fi Z77X

RAM capacity: 4×4 GB DDR3 1600

Drives: SSD Adata S511 120 GB (system), HDD 1 TB

Operating system: Windows 10 Pro 64 bit

Monitor: Philips 272P7VPTKEB

NVIDIA driver used for all video cards: GeForce 419.35

Результаты тестов

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusions

 

Judging by the test results,the performance of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti video cards is slightly lower than NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070. And this is a very decent level!

 

Video cards are capable of providing a comfortable FPS level in almost any of the most demanding games with Full HD resolution. Using a higher resolution of 2560×1440 pixels. somewhere, it may no longer be possible to set the maximum settings.

 

Overall performance is calculated based on results with a resolution of 2560×1440 pixels, if we talk about games. At a lower Full HD resolution (1920×1080 pixels), the GTX 1660 Ti models will be even closer to the GTX 1070.

 

Unfortunately, we didn’t have a GTX 1060 6GB on hand for comparison. Yes, 50% winnings will be seen in few places. But a 20-40 percent (depending on diligence) increase in the new GTX 1660 Ti can be expected.

 

At the start of sales of the new generation of NVIDIA video cards, and these were the high-performance RTX 2080 Ti, RTX 2080, RTX 2070, many were criticized for the very high price level. It was difficult for these new products to compete with the solutions of the previous generation GTX 10XX.

 

But the video cards of the more affordable GTX 1660 Ti series, which have lost their “body kit” in the form of tensor and RT cores, turned out to be very attractive in terms of performance and cost ratio. And in this regard, they look good compared to the outgoing GTX 10XX models.

 

By choosing a new generation model, you also get higher energy efficiency, although you could expect more from the new 12nm process technology combined with the Turing architecture.

 

Is the GTX 1660 Ti a good replacement for GTX 1060 owners? Perhaps the difference between them will not be so significant for many. But for those who have been stuck on the ninth series GTX 9XX, or for owners of weaker 1050 Ti, switching to the GTX 1660 Ti will bring a big jump in speed.

 

As for the test participants, in general, ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition and MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GAMING X 6G stand out as the most advanced models. Moreover, at a very similar price (at the time of publication), ASUS has a more powerful board and cooling system, but MSI has more interesting backlighting.

 

The Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti WINDFORCE OC 6G performed very well. There is no backlight, the back plate is plastic, but this model can be said to be on par with the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC edition and MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GAMING X 6G in terms of performance and has a very attractive price.

 

Inno3D GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Twin X2 turned out to be slightly weaker than other participants in terms of speed and CO efficiency, but at the same time it is the most affordable video card among all tested models based on the GTX 1660 Ti.

 

 

See also:

Review and comparison of video cards based on NVIDIA RTX 2070 from ASUS, Gigabyte, Inno3D and MSI

Review of video cards based on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti from ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI. Filling Niches