Introduction
In the ever-evolving world of PC gaming, balancing price, performance, and efficiency is a constant challenge. NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1660 Super, released on October 29, 2019, was a direct answer to that challenge. Slotting neatly between the original GTX 1660 and GTX 1660 Ti, the 1660 Super was a mid-range champion, offering fantastic value to 1080p gamers without breaking the bank.
Built on the Turing architecture but without ray tracing and Tensor cores, the GTX 1660 Super bridged the gap between affordability and high-performance gaming. It was a GPU designed for the masses, aimed at gamers who wanted modern performance without venturing into the premium pricing territory of the RTX series.
Architecture and Specifications
The GTX 1660 Super was based on the TU116 GPU, the same chip used in the GTX 1660 and 1660 Ti. However, the Super version came with a key upgrade: GDDR6 memory, which drastically improved memory bandwidth and overall gaming performance.
Key Specs:
| Specification | GTX 1660 Super |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Turing (TU116) |
| CUDA Cores | 1,408 |
| Base Clock | 1,530 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,785 MHz |
| Memory | 6 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Speed | 14 Gbps |
| Memory Interface | 192-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 336 GB/s |
| TDP | 125W |
| Process Node | 12nm FFN (TSMC) |
| Launch Price (MSRP) | $229 USD |
The addition of 14 Gbps GDDR6 memory (compared to 8 Gbps GDDR5 in the base GTX 1660) resulted in a dramatic 75% increase in memory bandwidth, from 192 GB/s to 336 GB/s. This provided a substantial performance uplift in bandwidth-intensive games and future-proofed the card for heavier textures and shader workloads.
Positioning in the Market
At the time of its release, the GTX 1660 Super targeted gamers who:
- Played mostly at 1080p or 1440p resolutions.
- Wanted high frame rates in popular titles like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, Apex Legends, and CS:GO.
- Needed a reliable GPU for streaming or light video editing.
- Preferred to avoid the higher price point of RTX cards with ray tracing.
It also served as a powerful upgrade path from older GPUs like the GTX 960, GTX 970, or even GTX 1050 Ti. With a TDP of only 125W, it was energy-efficient and could often be used in systems with modest power supplies — making it perfect for budget-conscious gamers and those upgrading OEM desktops.
Gaming Performance
The GTX 1660 Super was lauded for its excellent 1080p gaming performance. It comfortably delivered 60+ FPS in most AAA titles at high to ultra settings. Even at 1440p, it performed surprisingly well in many modern games when settings were fine-tuned.
Sample Benchmarks (1080p, Ultra Settings):
| Game | Avg FPS |
|---|---|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 72 FPS |
| Far Cry New Dawn | 87 FPS |
| The Witcher 3 | 92 FPS |
| Metro Exodus | 63 FPS |
| Fortnite | 130+ FPS |
| Apex Legends | 110+ FPS |
| Rainbow Six Siege | 140+ FPS |
In eSports titles, where frame rates are king, the 1660 Super truly shone. For competitive gamers playing Overwatch, Valorant, Rocket League, or League of Legends, this GPU provided ultra-smooth gameplay even on high-refresh-rate monitors.
Thermals, Power, and Efficiency
The GTX 1660 Super, like its siblings, ran cool and quiet. Most third-party models came with dual-fan or even triple-fan coolers, and temperatures rarely exceeded 70–75°C under load.
- Idle temps: 30–40°C
- Typical load temps: 65–75°C
- Power consumption under load: ~120W
The low 125W TDP meant that many models didn’t even require an 8-pin connector — just a 6-pin was sufficient. It was ideal for systems with older or lower-wattage PSUs, avoiding costly upgrades.
Ray Tracing and Features
The GTX 1660 Super, like other GTX 16-series cards, was based on Turing, but lacked dedicated RT (ray tracing) and Tensor cores. However, NVIDIA later introduced basic ray tracing support via software for GTX 16-series cards — allowing them to run ray-traced games, albeit at a severe performance cost.
The card did support:
- NVIDIA Ansel
- G-SYNC compatibility
- ShadowPlay
- GeForce Experience
- NVENC Encoder (Turing-based)
The newer NVENC encoder made the 1660 Super a viable choice for streamers. Compared to Pascal-based GPUs, Turing’s NVENC provided better quality at the same bitrate — making OBS and other software easier to use without sacrificing in-game performance.
Comparison With Siblings
| GPU | Cores | Memory | Memory Type | Bandwidth | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTX 1660 | 1,408 | 6GB GDDR5 | GDDR5 @ 8 Gbps | 192 GB/s | $219 |
| GTX 1660 Super | 1,408 | 6GB GDDR6 | GDDR6 @ 14 Gbps | 336 GB/s | $229 |
| GTX 1660 Ti | 1,536 | 6GB GDDR6 | GDDR6 @ 12 Gbps | 288 GB/s | $279 |
In real-world gaming, the GTX 1660 Super performed within 3–5% of the 1660 Ti, but was $50 cheaper, making it an incredible value. It easily outpaced the regular GTX 1660 and almost rendered the Ti version obsolete for budget buyers.
Reception and Popularity
Upon release, the GTX 1660 Super was met with critical acclaim. Reviewers and users praised its:
- Outstanding price-to-performance ratio
- Energy efficiency
- Capability to run modern games at 1080p/1440p
- Silent operation
- Excellent streaming support with Turing NVENC
The card quickly became one of the best-selling GPUs for gamers on a budget. It was the go-to option for prebuilt gaming PCs and widely used by system builders and casual gamers alike.
During the GPU shortage of 2020–2021, the 1660 Super retained high resale value and demand, as it could still hold its own in most games.
Limitations and Longevity
While the 1660 Super was excellent for its time, it wasn’t without limitations:
- No ray tracing or DLSS meant it missed out on some of NVIDIA’s future-facing features.
- 6 GB VRAM, while enough for most games in 2020, has become borderline in modern titles with high-resolution textures and open-world environments.
- Not ideal for 4K gaming or high-end VR applications.
That said, it continued to serve gamers well into 2023–2024, especially for eSports, retro gaming, indie titles, and mainstream AAA games with medium-to-high settings.
Conclusion
The GeForce GTX 1660 Super was one of NVIDIA’s smartest GPU releases of the Turing era. With its strong 1080p/1440p performance, efficient architecture, improved memory, and competitive pricing, it struck the perfect balance between performance and affordability.
It represented the philosophy of gaming hardware done right — no gimmicks, just great performance where it mattered. For budget-conscious gamers and builders, the 1660 Super became the heart of many reliable and satisfying gaming systems.
Even as newer GPUs dominate the headlines, the legacy of the 1660 Super lives on as one of the best mid-range graphics cards of its generation — a GPU that delivered incredible bang for the buck and democratized quality PC gaming during a pivotal time.
