Zotac GTX 1660 Ti evaluate: Nvidia’s good mainstream mini PC GPU

The Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti has dropped into the mainstream vacuum which the RTX 20-series GeForce playing cards couldn’t deliver themselves to suit into. Eschewing the ray traced pretties and AI smarts the Nvidia Turing GPU architecture made its identify with, the 16-series of graphics playing cards are all about inexpensive gaming efficiency in the present day.

We’ve already checked out how the brand new Nvidia silicon gala’s underneath an Asus shroud with the diminutive Phoenix, and portly ROG STRIX variations of the mainstream Turing chips, and now it’s Zotac’s flip. This Zotac GTX 1660 Ti is a straight reference model of the brand new TU116 GPU, with the identical reminiscence capability, and virtually the identical footprint because the mini-ITX Asus Phoenix card.

So, how does Zotac’s miniature Turing evaluate with the small type issue Asus card, with its oh-so-mild overclock? Well, it’s shut in the case of each pricing and gaming efficiency, and that dual-fan Zotac shroud is much more pleasing than the essential bitch blower cooler connected to the Phoenix. But there’s nonetheless the spectre of the GTX 1660 hanging above each their heads, doubtlessly providing comparable gaming efficiency for an excellent chunk of change lower than the worth of the GTX 1660 Ti.

The Zotac GTX 1660 Ti makes use of the identical TU116 GPUs because the Asus playing cards, which implies we’re nonetheless speaking a couple of 12nm graphics chip with 1,536 CUDA cores inside it, all arrayed throughout 24 streaming multiprocessors. Or SMs, or compute models, relying on the way you wish to speak about them.

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The GPU itself is slightly broader than its Pascal forebear, with a 284mm² footprint versus the 200m² GP106 chip used inside the old-fashioned, however nonetheless massively standard GTX 1060. It’s additionally packing in much more transistors too; regardless of the 42% enhance in die dimension, there’s a 50% enhance within the variety of transistors Nvidia has managed to jam into the GTX 1660 Ti bundle.

The GTX 1660 Ti is ostensibly a direct substitute for the GTX 1060, providing virtually GTX 1070-level gaming efficiency for across the identical worth the Pascal card launched at. This Zotac model is $280 (£260), whereas the Asus Phoenix is now pricing itself slightly greater than it was at launch, with a present price ticket of $303 (£270).

The Asus card does get pleasure from a barely greater clockspeed out of the field, working at a typical increase clock of 1,785MHz versus the straight reference 1,770MHz clock pace the Zotac GPU touts. The Phoenix additionally has an ‘OC Mode’ accessible through its GPU Tweak II software program, which places its increase frequency as much as 1,815MHz.

But provided that Nvidia’s GPU Boost expertise means graphics card clock speeds are a slightly movable feast as of late, issues do stage out quite a bit based mostly on the cooling offered. And that’s actually the place Zotac’s spectacular little GTX 1660 Ti comes into its personal. The dual-fan cooling of the Zotac is much more environment friendly than the only spinner on the Asus card, with the Phoenix working 10°C hotter in its customary mode. And meaning they each find yourself knocking across the identical ~1,800MHz frequency whenever you’re truly gaming.

And what does that each one do for efficiency? Well, it means when all’s stated and achieved the marginally cheaper, barely cooler Zotac GTX 1660 Ti performs at just about the identical stage because the Asus Phoenix. The Asus card does have the sooner precise body charges, however some weird Battlefield V benchmarks however, there’s by no means a lot of a tangible distinction between the gaming efficiency of the 2 playing cards.

With the superior cooling chops of the Zotac design you’re additionally going to fare higher within the kinds of small type issue chassis these ickle graphics playing cards are meant for. Combine that with the marginally lower cost tag, and the truth that with slightly gentle overclocking – the one-touch Nvidia OC Scanner makes {that a} doddle – the efficiency delta primarily disappears, and the Zotac GTX 1660 Ti makes for a extra tempting buy.

But at this mainstream stage body price is king, so each little little bit of efficiency issues and that may simply sway some folks extra in direction of the Asus. Though when you have a look at the minimal body charges the Zotac card delivers at 1080p it appears slightly extra secure than the Phoenix, and that might once more be all the way down to the cooling. There’s not so pronounced a distinction at 1440p, however then neither is there within the common fps there both.

Then there are the aesthetics. Look, I do know that the GPU is an inside part, and even with a perspex peep gap within the aspect of your rig for some bare PC pervery your graphics card is mostly sitting side-on, however the Zotac choice has a much more pleasing look than the tasteless Phoenix.

Personally talking then I’d slightly be rocking the Zotac GTX 1660 Ti inside my miniature gaming PC. It has the efficiency, the cooling, and the appears. The Asus Phoenix continues to be an awesome little GPU, however when you’re going for a 1660 Ti the Zotac card has so much to supply at its lower cost.

The sticking level continues to be the straight GTX 1660 which is because of arrive any day now. That’s a card with a barely cut-down model of the identical GPU, however with GDDR5 reminiscence versus the GDDR6 these Ti playing cards use. The non-Ti playing cards are anticipated to be nearer to the $200 mark and in the event that they’re shut in efficiency that might genuinely cannibalise a few of these Ti playing cards.

There are additionally AMD’s RX 580 playing cards to think about too – they’re knocking round for lower than $200 for the time being, with efficiency that isn’t 1,000,000 miles off what the newest GeForce playing cards are able to. That makes them an awesome buy when you can’t stretch to the pricing of the 16-series.

So we’re as soon as extra attending to the purpose the place irrespective of how a lot GPU improve money is sitting in your pockets there will likely be a card for you, however that additionally means there’ll all the time be one thing just a bit bit sooner when you’re keen to spend just a bit bit extra money.

But on the standard $250 – $300 GPU worth level the GTX 1660 Ti has the ground, and the Zotac model is at present our favorite when it comes to its mixture of worth, gaming efficiency, and general bodily design.