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Zotac Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 Super review: This is your new mainstream champ

By Koh Wanzi - 28 Dec 2019

Test setup & gaming performance

Test setup

The detailed specifications of our new graphics card testbed system is as follows:-

  • Intel Core i7-8086K (4.0GHz, 12MB L3 cache)
  • ASUS ROG Strix Maximus X Hero (Intel Z370)
  • 4 x 8GB G.Skill Ripjaws V DDR4-3000 (Auto timings: CAS 15-15-15-35)
  • Samsung 860 EVO 500GB SSD
  • Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
  • ASUS PB287Q, 4K monitor

The full line-up of graphics cards tested are listed below:

  • Zotac Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 Super
  • ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Gaming OC
  • ASUS Phoenix GeForce GTX 1660
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB Founders Edition

Test cards compared
  Zotac Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 Super ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Gaming OC ASUS Phoenix GeForce GTX 1660 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Founders Edition
  Zotac Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 Super ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Gaming OC ASUS Phoenix GeForce GTX 1660 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Founders Edition
Core Code
  • TU116
  • TU116
  • TU116
  • GP106
GPU Transistor Count
  • 6.6 billion
  • 6.6 billion
  • 6.6 billion
  • 4.4 Billion
Manufacturing Process
  • 12nm
  • 12nm
  • 12nm
  • 16nm
Core Clock
  • 1,530MHz
  • 1,500MHz
  • 1,530MHz
  • 1,506MHz (Boost: 1,708MHz)
Stream Processors
  • 1,408
  • 1,536
  • 1,408
  • 1,280
Stream Processor Clock
  • 1,530MHz
  • 1,500MHz
  • 1,530MHz
  • 1,506MHz
Texture Mapping Units (TMUs)
  • 88
  • 96
  • 88
  • 80
Raster Operator units (ROP)
  • 48
  • 48
  • 48
  • 48
Memory Clock (DDR)
  • 14,000MHz
  • 12,000MHz
  • 8,000MHz
  • 8,000MHz
Memory Bus width
  • 192-bit
  • 192-bit
  • 192-bit
  • 192-bit
Memory Bandwidth
  • 336GB/s
  • 288.1GB/s
  • 192.1GB/s
  • 192GB/s
PCI Express Interface
  • PCIe 3.0
  • PCIe 3.0
  • PCIe 3.0
  • 3.0
Power Connectors
  • 1x 8-pin
  • 1x 8-pin
  • 1x 8-pin
  • 1x 6-PIN PCIe
HDMI Outputs
  • 1
  • 2
  • 1
  • 1x
DisplayPort Outputs
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
  • 3x
DVI Outputs
  • 1x
HDCP Output Support
  • Yes

Benchmarks

Next up, here's a list of all the benchmarks used:

  • 3DMark
  • Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation
  • Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
  • Far Cry 5
  • Metro Exodus
  • Middle-earth: Shadow of War
  • Shadow of the Tomb Raider
  • Tom Clancy's The Division 2

 

3DMark

The synthetic 3DMark benchmark tests graphics and computational performance at different resolutions, starting at 1080p and going all the way up to 4K. A series of two graphics test, one physics test, and then a combined test stress your hardware in turn to assess its performance.

The GeForce GTX 1660 Super isn't that far behind the 1660 Ti. In 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme, it's just 7 per cent slower. It's also 13 per cent faster than the three-year-old GeForce GTX 1060 6GB in that same benchmark.

 

Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation

Ashes of the Singularity has long been the poster child for the performance benefits a low-level API like DirectX 12 can bring. It is based on the Nitrous engine and can be extremely punishing thanks to the huge number of onscreen units and the sheer level of detail accorded to each unit. However, the CPU does become the limiting factor at lower resolutions and settings.

The GeForce GTX 1660 Super performs very similarly to the GeForce GTX 1660 in Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation. It's also just under 11 per cent slower than the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti at 1440p and High settings. 

 

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Mankind Divided features just about every trick to make your game look pretty, including things like volumetric and dynamic lighting, screenspace reflections, and cloth physics. Even though it was released in 2016, the game is capable of bringing even the most powerful systems to their knees. 

Compared to the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, the GeForce GTX 1660 Super is a mere 6 per cent behind at 1440p and High settings. It's also a good 33 per cent faster than the GeForce GTX 1060 6GB at the same settings.

 

Far Cry 5

Far Cry 5 is actually an AMD launch title, so it'll be interesting to see how the green camp fares here.

At 1440p and High settings, the GeForce GTX 1660 Super is just under 7 per cent behind the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. It's also a solid 28 per cent ahead of the GeForce GTX 1060 6GB.

 

Metro Exodus

Metro Exodus is one of the most demanding games to run today, even at just 1080p and High settings. The GeForce GTX 1660 Super doesn't quite manage to hit 60FPS, but it comes close enough, a decent showing for a card that's part of NVIDIA's entry-level line-up. Compared to the GeForce GTX 1060 6GB, it's also a good 34 per cent faster. 

 

Middle-earth: Shadow of War

The GeForce GTX 1660 Super closes the gap further with the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti in Middle-earth: Shadow of War. At 1440p and High settings, it's barely 3 per cent behind. The new Super card continues to outpace the older GeForce GTX 1060 6GB by a good amount though, coming in at a whopping 35 per cent faster. 

 

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the GeForce GTX 1660 Super once again proves itself a worthy alternative to the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. In fact, the latter is barely 5 per cent faster than its Super counterpart. Meanwhile, the GeForce GTX 1060 6GB continues to show its age, trailing the GeForce GTX 1660 Super by a whopping 45 per cent. 

 

Tom Clancy's The Division 2

A similar pattern plays out in The Division 2, where the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti inched ahead of the GeForce GTX 1660 Super by just over 7 per cent at 1440p and High settings. The GeForce GTX 1660 Super also proves that it's more than capable of handling nearly any modern game at 1080p and Ultra settings, or even at 1440p but with some of the settings turned down. 

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8.5
  • Performance 8.5
  • Features 8.5
  • Value 8.5
The Good
Good gaming performance that is very close to the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
Great upgrade if you're coming from the GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
Will run most games at 1440p, albeit with some settings turned down
Compact design will fit into most cases
The Bad
No RT and Tensor cores
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