The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is lastly right here. Hailing from the identical Turing household as the remainder of Nvidia’s RTX graphics playing cards however with out all the flowery ray tracing and DLSS tech inside it (therefore the dearth of RTX moniker), the GTX 1660 Ti positive is one highly effective graphics card – a lot in order that it’s gone straight in as my new best graphics card for these after flawless 1080p efficiency. But how does it stack as much as its closest RTX sibling, the RTX 2060? Is it price spending the additional £70 / $70 and bagging your self a ray tracing, DLSS machine? Let’s discover out by way of the medium of some helpful graphs.
GTX 1660 Ti vs RTX 2060: How we take a look at
To see how each playing cards stack up throughout 1920×1080 and 2560×1440 resolutions, I’ve run every of them by means of my common games benchmarking suite. That contains Final Fantasy XV (albeit with out Nvidia’s fancy HairWorks, TurfEffects, VXAO and ShadowLibs results turned on), Monster Hunter: World, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Total War: Warhammer II, Forza Horizon 4, The Witcher III and now Metro Exodus.
Paired with my Intel Core i5-8600Ok CPU and 16GB of Corsair Vengeance 2133MHz RAM, I’ve seen what every card can do on max settings at every decision and brought a mean body price (both from their very own built-in benchmarks or from my very own repeated guide gameplay checks) to see how they stack up towards one another.
The playing cards in query are the Nvidia Founders Edition of the RTX 2060, and Asus’ ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC mannequin, the latter of which is Asus’ high GTX 1660 Ti card and possibly one of many quicker playing cards you’ll see on sale from different third events. This is because of its excessive base and enhance clock speeds of 1500MHz and 1860MHz respectively, or 1530MHz and 1890MHz when its OC mode is engaged. For the needs of this take a look at, I left the GTX 1660 Ti at its default speeds to attempt to make it extra consultant of what the GTX 1660 Ti is able to as an entire.
Of course, lots of you is perhaps questioning, ‘Hang on a sec, that Asus is a large triple fan job when most GTX 1660 Ti playing cards are a lot smaller and solely have a single fan – gained’t that have an effect on efficiency?’ And you’d be proper. This explicit Asus might be going to be one of many higher case eventualities for GTX 1660 Ti efficiency in comparison with the remainder of the playing cards on the market. However, I’ve additionally been testing one in all Asus’ different GTX 1660 Ti playing cards, the single-fan Phoenix version – albeit to not fairly the identical extent because the ROG Strix OC – and have solely discovered it to be on common 2-5fps slower than its extra upmarket sibling (and most of the time simply 2-3fps), so I’m fairly assured the outcomes under could be utilized simply as simply to different single-fan playing cards you is perhaps .
With that in thoughts, let’s get all the way down to some graph motion.
GTX 1660 Ti vs RTX 2060: 1080p efficiency
At 1920×1080, the GTX 1660Ti is an exceptionally succesful graphics card. As you possibly can see from the graph above (click on to develop), it’s in a position to hit not less than 55fps in each game going (except for the tough-as-old-boots Metro Exodus) on Ultra settings at this decision, and in some circumstances may even push it as much as 60-70fps – which is fairly spectacular contemplating its worth of round £260 / $279.
The RTX 2060 is extraordinarily nippy at 1080p, too, in fact, hitting a mean of not less than 60fps on max settings, if not nearer to 70-80fps. On the entire, although, there’s not truly an enormous quantity in it between these two playing cards right here, and in some circumstances, akin to Final Fantasy XV and Forza Horizon 4, the RTX 2060 was truly a fraction slower than its GTX 1660 Ti rival.
The RTX 2060 is arguably a greater purchase for these with excessive refresh price screens right here, notably given its tendency to hit between 70-80fps at this decision, however in the event you’ve solely obtained an everyday 60Hz monitor, then I’d say the GTX 1660 Ti nonetheless supplies greater than sufficient velocity right here, even when you issue within the potential 2-5fps drop I discussed earlier for single-fan playing cards.
GTX 1660 Ti vs RTX 2060: 1440p efficiency
Where the RTX 2060 begins to tell apart itself, nonetheless, is taking part in games at 2560×1440. Again, on Ultra settings, there isn’t an enormous quantity in it once you take a look at the person numbers for every card facet by facet, however once you’re teetering across the mid-40s mark for lots of games, a few further frames could make a surprisingly massive distinction in general smoothness.
There are nonetheless a few circumstances the place the GTX 1660 Ti reveals up the RTX 2060, although, akin to in The Witcher III the place it’s truly a mean of 3fps in entrance on Ultra settings, and Forza Horizon Four the place it’s simply a mean of 2fps behind, additionally on Ultra. This, I’d argue, is kind of telling. While I absolutely acknowledge that The Witcher III’s figures are removed from being indicative of all ‘older games ever created’, it does counsel that you just most likely gained’t see an enormous quantity of profit choosing the dearer RTX 2060 with most of these aged titles, so that you may as nicely save your self some money within the course of by going with the GTX 1660 Ti.
The similar goes for Forza Horizon 4. As one of many extra well-optimised blockbusters to come back out in latest months, this would appear to counsel that much less demanding games are additionally higher off with the GTX 1660 Ti, because the efficiency enhance simply isn’t massive sufficient to essentially warrant spending the additional money. Indeed, whereas I haven’t included it on the graph above, the equally well-optimised and fast-paced shooter Doom bore an analogous final result, as every card was in a position to ship body charges of not less than 90fps, if not 100fps, on max settings at each 1080p and 1440p, so why go for the RTX 2060 when the GTX 1660 Ti will just do as nicely?
However, whereas the RTX 2060 might need the sting taking part in on most settings at 2560×1440, it turns into a a lot nearer run race once you drop the standard all the way down to High. Disregarding the games which might already hit 60fps on Ultra, you’ll see under that even the GTX 1660 Ti can ship a cushty 58fps in most locations right here, which is loads quick sufficient once you’ve solely obtained a 60Hz monitor to play with.
Metro Exodus continues to be a sticking level for the GTX 1660 Ti at this setting, in fact, and it additionally gained’t profit from the game’s performance-boosting DLSS tech, both, which is out there on the RTX 2060. The outcomes above are with out DLSS to maintain issues honest, however evidently, anybody pondering of shopping for a brand new graphics card to play Metro in the mean time ought to nearly definitely contemplate the RTX 2060 in the event that they need to play it on the game’s very best.
Similarly, the RTX 2060’s means to commonly hit 60-70fps in different massive games might be price the additional expense in the event you’ve obtained a excessive refresh price monitor. On the entire, although, I’d say the GTX 1660 Ti is significantly better worth for cash general right here, notably in the event you’re probably not that fussed about whether or not you play games on High or Ultra.
GTX 1660 Ti vs RTX 2060: Conclusion
As a outcome, anybody seeking to purchase a graphics card for high notch 1080p gaming or nearly top-notch 1440p gaming ought to nearly definitely contemplate the GTX 1660 Ti over the RTX 2060, in my view – until, that’s, you’ve both obtained a excessive refresh price monitor or need to get in on all this ray tracing and DLSS malarkey. Otherwise, I simply don’t suppose the efficiency soar you get by choosing the RTX 2060 is basically sufficient to warrant the additional £70 / $70.
Admittedly, it will most likely be simpler to make a case for the RTX 2060 if extra games supported all these good Nvidia RTX options like ray tracing and DLSS. But when the listing of confirmed ray tracing and DLSS games continues to be so piddly (to not point out the even titchier listing of them that may truly benefit from it in-game proper now, which is simply Metro Exodus, Battlefield V and Final Fantasy XV at time of writing), there simply aren’t sufficient compelling causes to suggest it within the face of the GTX 1660 Ti’s stonking speeds.
As such, the GTX 1660 Ti is now my new best graphics card suggestion for flawless 1080p play, in addition to my high suggestion for what folks ought to truly purchase after they’re on the lookout for an honest 1440p card. The RTX 2060 nonetheless hangs on to its general greatest graphics card crown for 1440p (simply) given its superior speeds and larger capability to play games on completely max settings with out spending an absolute fortune, however by way of worth for cash, it merely can’t evaluate with the superb GTX 1660 Ti.
