The 6 Best Reasons To Avoid A GTX 1660 in 2023

Are you searching for the best graphics card to power smooth, high-fidelity gaming without breaking the bank? If so, you may have come across the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 as a potential option.

With prices starting around $230, the 1660 seems enticingly affordable on paper. Maybe you’ve compared specs and thought it looks capable enough for flawless 1080p gaming? Not so fast.

While the GTX 1660 enjoyed popularity after its 2019 launch for budget gamers, major drawbacks have surfaced through the years as graphics demands intensified. There are better-valued alternatives now that outclass Nvidia‘s aging mid-range card.

In this guide, we’ll carefully analyze the 1660’s deficiencies and expose why you should avoid picking one up in 2023 and beyond. By the end, you’ll rethink opting for the 1660 and learn about superior GPU choices instead.

Overview of the GTX 1660‘s Main Flaws

Before digging into the nitty gritty details, let‘s briefly summarize the key downsides causing the GTX 1660 to falter in 2023:

• Worse price-to-performance value than competing AMD cards
• Significantly lower gaming frame rates
• Excessive power draw compared to rivals
• Outdated GDDR5 memory technology
• Limited 6GB video memory capacity
• Lack of future-proofing features

As we compare hard data and expert insights across these areas later on, you’ll discover better options exist that dodge these pitfalls and bring much more value to demanding gamers like yourself.

Now, let’s closely evaluate each deficiency plaguing the 1660…

Reason 1: Subpar Price-to-Performance Value

One alluring trait of mid-range GPUs like the GTX 1660 involves affordability without sacrificing 1080p gaming prowess. But in the 1660‘s case, you actually DO lose out on performance per dollar spent.

Multiple testing sources have proven you can nearly match, if not beat, the 1660‘s speeds while saving money. AMD‘s cards shine here…

Review site TechSpot analyzed frame rates across 8 major game titles, pitting the 1660 against an equal-priced AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB card.

The results? The RX 580 proved faster in 5 of the 8 games tested.

That‘s pretty convincing evidence of faster speeds for less money with AMD cards like the RX 580. And their strong driver support pushes performance even further through optimizations.

Digital Trends summed it up fittingly: "The RX 580 is still among the best bang-for-buck GPUs…Nvidia doesn’t have an answer in terms of raw value."

So if you want the best mixture of affordability AND high frame rates, the proof shows Nvidia‘s 1660 isn‘t optimal.

Reason 2: Underwhelming Frame Rates

Speaking of frames per second…that‘s the tangible metric measuring graphics card potency. The higher the better for maximizing gaming smoothness.

While no slouch, the GTX 1660 trails significantly behind rival Nvidia and AMD cards sporting upgraded architectures and robust specs.

Trusted benchmarking site Tom‘s Hardware compared FPS across modern games and revealed the 1660‘s rather mediocre results:

Ouch! Whether pitted against AMD‘s RX 5600 XT or Nvidia‘s own RTX 2060, the GTX 1660 suffered over a 37-50% FPS deficit on average. Those are mammoth margins showcasing meaningful real-world speed advantages with competing hardware.

Such large gaps in gaming frames per second substantially impact enjoyment and fluidity noticeably. PC Gamer perfectly summarized the 1660‘s underpowered position: "…the GTX 1660 Super does feel a step behind the 5600 XT rather than two equals trading blows."

So if you desire buttery smooth gameplay at the highest frame rates possible, the GTX 1660 falls frustratingly short.

Reason 3: Excessive Power Consumption

Gamers constantly upgrading rigs understand the intricacies of balancing interdependent PC components. Graphics cards produce significant heat that must dissipate properly to prevent thermal throttling.

One contributor to unnecessary GPU heat involves power draw. The more wattage a card sips under load, the hotter operation becomes.

Unfortunately the GTX 1660 gulps down energy relative to competitors, rated for a board power around 120 watts during intense gaming. How does that compare?

• GTX 1060: 120 watts
• Radeon RX 580: 185 watts

The aging GTX 1060 from Nvidia‘s own Pascal generation ties the 1660‘s power appetite using less advanced technology! And AMD‘s RX 580 draws over 35% LESS power despite competitive performance.

Excess power consumption consequently generates more heat and noise. So not only is the 1660 weaker and pricier than alternatives overall…it‘s also noticeably more hungry for electricity and hotter to boot!

Reason 4: Depended-On GDDR5 Memory

We just covered how the GTX 1660 taxes your power supply rather heavily. Compounding energy inefficiency lies another critical shortcoming…dated memory technology.

All modern GPU architectures have transitioned to blazing-fast GDDR6 memory delivering double the bandwidth (up to 16 Gb/s) versus previous-gen GDDR5 maxing out around 8 Gb/s.

The speedier throughput directly fuels better gaming speeds and smoother all-around functionality. All cards in the 1660‘s class offer GDDR6…except the 1660 itself, still clinging to GDDR5.

With 50-100%+ faster memory bandwidth achieved by rivals, the GTX 1660‘s GDDR5 deficiency noticeably hampers real-world game performance, rendering speeds, and functionality compared to cards employing superior GDDR6 modules.

Reason 5: Restricted 6GB VRAM

We just revealed how the GTX 1660 utilizes inferior GDDR5 memory modules. But there‘s another memory-related limitation…its constrained 6GB video memory capacity.

VRAM stores all textures, polygons, pixels, and other graphical data needed to render eye-popping game worlds. The more advanced titles become, the more VRAM required.

Many newer releases now suggest 8GB+ for optimal fidelity, including:

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
• Assassin‘s Creed Valhalla
• Far Cry 6
• Dying Light 2
• Halo Infinite (campaign)

With limited capacity, the 1660 will force you to turn down texture resolutions much sooner, resulting in muddier image quality. 6GB gets consumed rapidly today.

Gamers Nexus explained the concern aptly: "Capacity is quickly becoming one of the more limiting factors in cards like the GTX 1660…"

By comparison, all rival cards in the 1660‘s segment equip more expansive frame buffering:

• Radeon RX 5600 XT: 8GB GDDR6
• GeForce RTX 2060: 8GB GDDR6

It‘s clear extra VRAM headroom gives competing GPUs an advantage rendering detailed textures and complex effects moving forward. The 1660 will only age worse over time.

Reason 6: Lack of Future-Proof Features

Speaking of aging…that segues nicely into our final and arguably most crucial reason to avoid the GTX 1660 in 2023: its complete lack of future-proof technologies.

Modern graphics cards bolster gaming realism and speeds via:

• Ray tracing – simulated light physics
• DLSS – AI rendering intelligently
• Advanced APIs like DirectX 12 Ultimate

Support guarantees your card will ‘keep up‘ pleasingly in future game releases leveraging those capabilities you invested good money into already.

Without any dedicated hardware for ray tracing, DLSS, and DirectX 12 Ultimate, the 1660 SEVERELY hampers next-gen gaming potential down the road. You‘ll miss out on cutting-edge visuals and optimized performance in new titles.

For example, benchmark data revealed Cyberpunk 2077 frame rates tanked by over 60% ON A 1660 Ti with ray tracing enabled. That game is the norm now, not the exception when eyeing future titles.

The GTX 1660 simpy wasn‘t built for emerging gaming technologies. It‘s a dated, dead-end card in that sense.

Alternatives: 3 GTX 1660 Replacements Worth Buying Instead

Now that you know the GTX 1660‘s dirty secrets, let‘s discuss suitable alternatives that dodge these drawbacks and operate much smoother today AND tomorrow…

I‘ll summarize 3 excellent replacement options, along with quick high-level pros vs the 1660:

Overall Best Alternative: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050

The RTX 3050 brings exceptional value under $300, outclassing the 1660 nicely.

Pros vs GTX 1660:

• Faster clock speeds (~20%)
• 8GB GDDR6 VRAM
• RT + DLSS support
• PCIe 4.0 future-proofing

Price: Starts around $250 (matches 1660)

Performance advantage over 1660: ~30% faster

Clearly for similar pricing, the RTX 3050 outshines the GTX 1660 substantially when examining hardware capabilities and benchmarks. It‘s the most well-rounded, future-proofed alternative matching cost.

Runner Up: AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT

AMD‘s RX 6600 XT nearly equals the RTX 3050 in value provided, just with fewer future-proof features. But MUCH faster speeds!

Pros vs GTX 1660:

• 20%+ faster frame rates
• 8GB VRAM
• 128MB AMD Infinity Cache
• FidelityFX Super Resolution

Price: Starts around $260 (matches 1660)

Performance advantage: Over 50% faster FPS!

If you still enjoy rasterized gaming and want MAXIMUM frames per second now, the RX 6600 XT dominates the 1660 cost-for-speed while including upgraded features too. Fantastic 1440p playability.

Honorable Mention: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060

If your budget allows, the RTX 2060 obliterates the 1660 in every way imaginable while opening ray tracing potential.

Pros vs GTX 1660:

• RT + DLSS support
• Faster memory bandwidth
• Consistently 30%+ higher FPS

Price: Starts around $330 (often discounted used)

Performance advantage: Up to 50%+ faster FPS

While pricier than a 1660, the RTX 2060 utterly crushes it performance-wise in both traditional AND ray traced gaming courtesy of upgraded architecture more suitable for modern titles. If you can spend more, it‘s hard recommending anything else so profoundly better.

Conclusion

We‘ve explored voluminous evidence today explaining the GTX 1660‘s glaring vulnerabilities:

• Pitiful price/performance ratio
• Disappointing frame rates
• Excessive power draw
• Outdated memory tech
• Restricted VRAM capacity
• Complete lack of future-proofing

While no doubt SOME redeeming qualities exist at modest 1080p gaming levels, intense analysis reveals far superior options matching or beating the 1660‘s cost.

I sincerely hope reviewing these insights in detail helps guide your graphics card purchase away from potential GTX 1660 temptation! Please feel free ask any other questions ready to take the next step towards awesome, butter-smooth PC gaming that avoids the 1660‘s pitfalls.

Let me know if I can clarify or expand on any areas covered here. Happy to help compare additional GPU makes/models too. Talk soon!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the GTX 1660 still decent for 1080p gaming in 2023?

• Yes, it can still power 1080p gameplay at medium-high settings and usable frame rates. But superior price/performance exists, and some newer titles already overwhelm it.

What GPU is the best step up from a GTX 1660?

• The Nvidia RTX 3050 provides excellent performance gains over the 1660 (around 30% faster) while adding ray tracing and DLSS. Or for a bigger jump, consider the RX 6600 XT or RTX 3060.

Should I upgrade from a GTX 1060 to a 1660?

• We don‘t recommend upgrading from a 1060 to 1660 honestly. The performance gain only sits around 15-20% in most instances. Better to target a more meaningful improvement with something like an RTX 3050 or RX 6600 XT instead.

How hot does a GTX 1660 run?

• Expect load temperatures around 60-75°C generally, spiking over 80°C in some cases. More intensive workloads push the temperatures even higher. It runs quite hot for a 120W graphics card. Proper case cooling is a must!