GTX 1660 Ti vs RTX 2060 : which graphics card is more worthwhile?
Which is better, GTX 1660 Ti or RTX 2060?
Both the GTX 1660 Ti vs RTX 2060 are perfect graphics cards. Nevertheless, when buying a new PC, the question often arises, which of these two cards is better.
The GTX 1660 Ti is certainly a powerful graphics card and is definitely one of the best gaming graphics cards for those who want impeccable 1080p performance. But can it compete with its big brother, the RTX 2060? Is it worth spending the extra 70-80 Dollars and grabbing a ray tracing DLSS GPU? Let’s find out.
The result in advance
TLDR
With a resolution of 1080p or 1440p, both the GTX 1660 Ti and the RTX 2060 are sensationally good graphics cards, the latter with more CUDA cores and faster memory being ahead. The 1660 Ti cannot keep up at 4K. While the RTX 2060 does not offer a buttery smooth experience, it is still almost 30 FPS.
NVIDIA RTX 2060 | Next generation gaming Graphic card
If you can spend 60-70 Dollars more (depending on the model) or save a bit, the RTX 2060 is simply the better choice. You get a much more powerful GPU with ray tracing, DLSS, and other practical functions. However, it is only really worthwhile from 1440p gaming.
NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti | Turing for the small budget
The GTX 1660 Ti is a good option if you can’t afford the RTX 2060 right now. It’s a good budget map with some Turing perks, but there is no ray tracing or DLSS here. Also, the models with adequate cooling are often too expensive. But better for pure 1080p gaming.
If you are short of cash and need a powerful graphics card, the GTX 1660 Ti offers you a lot for your money. However, if you still have some money left and are looking for a GPU for gaming at 1440p, get the RTX 2060.
GTX 1660 Ti vs RTX 2060: The differences between the two cards
NVIDIA launched the GTX 1660 Ti to place it between the GTX 1060 and GTX 1070. This is exactly the case on paper. However, the card has been shown to even catch up with 1070 in certain games.
While the GTX 1660 Ti can keep up with the RTX 2060 at 1080p, the latter is simply the better GPU overall, which is also reflected in the price. The RTX range offers extensive support for ray tracing (essential methods of lighting objects and scenes in games) and DLSS processing (AI-based method to increase your FPS in games).
Let’s take a look at the technical basics of both series of cards below (using two partner cards as an example):
| IDENTIFICATION NUMBER | KFA2 RTX 2060 OC | PALIT GTX 1660 TI STORM X |
|---|---|---|
| Cuda kernels | 1920 | 1536 |
| Base rate | 1365 MHz | 1500 MHz |
| Boost clock | 1695 MHz | 1815 MHz |
| VRAM | 6GB GDDR6 | 6GB GDDR6 |
| Memory interface | 192-bit | 128-bit |
| Storage bandwidth | 336 GB / s | 288 GB / s |
| Memory speed | 14 GB / s | 6 GB / s |
| Power consumption | 160W | 120W |
| Ray tracing and DLSS? | Yes | No |
Good to know
The RTX 2060 has not been discontinued (will continue to be produced), although Nvidia has expanded its product range with the RTX 2060 Super. Accordingly, the RTX 2060 is definitely still relevant, especially since it can be a good 70-80 Dollars cheaper than an RTX 2060 Super.
GTX 1660 Ti vs RTX 2060: gaming performance at 1080p
To see how both cards fare in a resolution of 1920×1080, we determined the average FPS values for both in different games. All settings were set to Ultra, and the graphics cards (the RTX 2060 OC from KFA2 and the GTX 1660 Ti Storm X from Palit) were used unchanged.
The test system consisted of an i7-8700K, a Z390 mainboard, Windows 10 Home, and 16GB DDR4 at 3200MHz. Regarding the GPU models, it should be said that they both serve the lower range in terms of price and are therefore comparable. Neither the KFA2 nor the Palit model is “high-end,” and neither have any advantages in the benchmarks.
As you can see, the GTX 1660Ti is a compelling graphics card at 1080p. It can deliver solid frames in almost any game at Ultra settings, which is pretty impressive considering the price. Sure, it gets some support from the strong i7 – with an i5-8600K, you would have to deduct an average of 10 FPS for some games.
The RTX 2060 is, of course, ahead of the curve, but sometimes the differences are not that big. But it is definitely the better choice for high frame rates. However, if you only have a normal 60 Hz monitor, we would say that the GTX 1660 Ti still offers more than enough juice here.
GTX 1660 Ti vs RTX 2060: gaming performance at 1440p
We performed the same game again for the WQHD resolution.
Here you can see the strength of the RTX 2060. With ultra settings, the difference is not extreme if you look at the individual numbers. But if you’re in the 40s range for some games, a few extra FPS can make a surprisingly big difference.
Here, too, the GTX 1660 Ti can partly keep up, but the rates still differ. In some older or well-optimized titles such as Witcher 3 and Forza 4, an RTX 2060 would not bring you much more performance, but it looks different again with newer games.
While the RTX 2060 is clearly ahead at maximum settings of 2560×1440, it becomes a tighter race in high settings. Accordingly, we advise you here: If only daddling on a 60Hz monitor, the RTX 2060 is less worthwhile if it is a jacket and pants for you, whether you gamble on “high” or “ultra,” then even less.
Our conclusion
The GTX 1660 Ti is a powerful card. There’s no doubt about that. For the price of less than 300$, you get many functions and a lot of performance for 1080p and partly 1440p gaming. All in all, a solid price performance if you gamble on 60Hz and prefer Full HD.
The RTX 2060 is clearly the better GPU, but also more expensive. Nevertheless, the partner cards here are not only of higher quality with better cooling solutions (including the cheaper models), but you also get faster storage, more CUDA cores, and better overall performance. Put features like ray tracing and NVIDIA’s DLSS on top, and you have an exciting set.
Nevertheless, the difference in performance between the GTX 1660 Ti and the RTX 2060 is not extremely large, making the GTX 1660 Ti a winner for everyone. The fact is: With the GTX 1660 Ti, you definitely get more FPS per Dollar (see the analyzes by PC gamer ). So if you can still spend a little more, you should consider an RTX 2060 Super for another 80 Dollars.
Nevertheless, the 10-20% more performance with the RTX 2060 is definitely not wasted money.
Conclusion
There’s no clear winner here, but if you can afford it, the GeForce RTX 2060 is still the best mid-range card we’ve seen since the GTX 1070 Ti. This is especially true if you want to play at 1440p. However, if you only want to play with 1080p and/or have to keep your budget below 300 Taken, the GTX 1660 Ti is a good alternative.