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RTX 2060 Vs GTX 1660 Ti
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With the skyrocketing prices of graphics cards and how hard they are becoming to find, gamers are starting to think about getting older GPUs. But like every other GPU before jumping on the first one you see, it’s imperative to carefully consider what each of these older options is offering, and which one will fit better into your gaming PC aspirations.
Today, we look at the RTX 2060 from Nvidia and the GTX 1660Ti from AMD. If you’re looking for an older GPU with all the right features, there’s a good chance you will come across these two options being mentioned multiple times.
AMD Vs Nvidia
Nvidia is the most dominant brand in the GPU market. AMD has made a lot of ground in recent times delivering performance-oriented GPUs that deliver value for money and premium performance. Both options give excellent value for money.
For the longest time, Nvidia was known for its pricey GPUs. They seem to have realised this mistake, especially with AMD breathing down on their necks with quality and affordable GPUs. The RTX 2060 is among their efforts of bringing premium GPU with the latest technology like Ray tracing at affordable prices.
For gamers that are looking to slash costs even further, the GTX 1660Ti is a great contender. It might not have some of the features that 2060 from Nvidia has, but it is a vast improvement from its predecessors without a mouth-watering price point.
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However, when choosing a GPU, you need to consider a lot more than just the price and the brand. Although these two are also vital factors, there are other features that will help you determine which GPU will be a better fit with your build.
Before jumping into the details of what each GPU is about, a quick overview will help you form a strong foundation about each of the GPUs and give you an idea of what might work better for you.
RTX 2060 Overview
The RTX 2060 is classified as a next-gen gaming GPU with impressive features but a little heavy on the price tag. Overall, the 2060 is a better option with more power and more advanced features which include Ray Tracing and DLSS among other features.
Pros
- Good value
- Ray tracing and DLSS
- Better cooling features
- More ports
Cons
- There are not many games that support ray tracing at the moment
GTX 1660 Ti Overview
If you can’t afford the RTX 2060, the GTX 1660Ti is the next viable option with close enough performance. It is a budget GPU with some Turing advantages and excellent performances. However, you won’t be able to enjoy ray tracing or DLSS tech that you get with the RTX 2060.
Pros
- It’s an excellent upgrade from the 9-sries
- Comes with Turing architecture
- Budget-friendly price
Cons
- No ray tracing or DLSS
- Fewer Display Ports
Full Spec Overview
| GTX 1660 TI | RTX 2060 | |
| Architecture | Turing | Turing |
| Code name | Turing TU116 | Turing TU106 |
| Type | Desktop | Desktop |
| Release date | 22 February 2019 | 6 January 2019 |
| Pipelines | 1536 | 1920 |
| Core clock speed | 1500 MHz | 1320 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1770 MHz | 1620 MHz |
| Transistor count | 6,600 million | 10,800 million |
| Manufacturing process technology | 12 nm | 12 nm |
| Texture fill rate | 169.9 | 201.6 |
| Length | 229 mm | 229 mm |
| Memory bus width | 192 Bit | 192 Bit |
| Memory clock speed | 12000 MHz | 14000 MHz |
| Memory bandwidth | 288.0 GB/s | 336.0 GB/s |
| Shared memory | - | - |
| G-SYNC support | + | |
| VR Ready | + | |
| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 |
| Shader Model | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| OpenCL | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| Vulkan | 1.2.131 | 1.2.131 |
| CUDA | 7.5 | 7.5 |
Architecture
Both GPUs ride on the same architecture – the Turing NVENC architecture. But there are some differences that set the performance of each card apart and also determine the level of performance you can expect from each card.
The RTX 2060 has 1920 CUDA cores for stream processing. It also has 240 Tensor which can be used for real-time ray tracing and DLSS.
The GTX 1660Ti on the other hand has fewer cores. It packs 1536 CUDA cores and no Tensor or Ray tracing cores.
With the extra cores, the RTX 2060 can deliver smoother gameplay for more immersive gaming. However, some experienced gamers have questioned the ability of this GPU to keep up with modern demands of ray tracing as seen on modern gaming titles.
A quick comparison of the architecture specs includes:
| RTX 2060 | GTX 1660 Ti | |
| NVIDIA Cuda Cores | 1,920 | 1,536 |
| Clock speeds | 1365 1680 | 1500 1770 |
| VRAM | 6GB GDDR6 | 6GB GDDR6 |
| Memory interface | 192-bit | 128-bit |
| Memory bandwidth | 336 GB/s | 288 GB/s |
| Memory speed | 14 Gb/s | 6 Gb/s |
| Power | 160 W | 120 W |
| Ray tracing | ✓ | - |
| DLSS | ✓ | - |
| 1440p gaming | Great | Great |
| 4K gaming | Mediocre | Poor |
| Ports | HDMI 2.0b 3x DisplayPort 1.4 | HDMI 2.0b DisplayPort 1.4 DVI |
For a clearer perspective, here is a look at clock speed details for each of the GPUs:
GTX 1660 Ti
- Base clock speed – 1500 MHz
- Boosted clock speed – 1770Mhz
RTX 2060
- Base clock speed – 1356 MHz
- Boosted clock speed – 1680 MHz
The GTX 1660Ti GPU is faster than the RTX 2060 in both the base and boosted clock speeds. But when the GPU is overclocked, the gap between the two reduces substantially.
Cooling
For gamers that are obsessed with overclocking, it’s critical to have a decent cooling system to avoid overheating and potentially damaging your new GPU while squeezing it for all it’s got.
The GTX 1660Ti has an advanced cooling system that will effectively prevent the card from overheating even in the most intense gaming sessions. It has an effective 85mm single fan that is surrounded by a thin fin stack and additional thermal pads that are located on the plate’s surface.
The RTX 2060 has a more complex cooling system that features a dual-axial cooling system with 16-blade fans that keep things crispy and cool while still managing to keep surprisingly low noise levels.
When using either GPU you should avoid getting over 85 degrees Celsius. Although the RTX 2060 can reach a maximum of 88 degrees Celsius and the GTX 1660Ti has a maximum of 95 degrees Celsius, staying below the 85 degrees threshold will ensure a longer life for your GPU.
For overclockers, staying below this temperature with the stock cooling system is almost impossible. You can check out some replacement cooling systems that are more effective and compatible with the GPU you select. Such systems will help the GPU stay cooler as it takes care of more demanding task loads when playing GPU heavy gaming titles.
Dimensions
The dimensions of your GPU will not necessarily determine the performance. But, they will determine if the GPU can fit in your PC case. Unless you haven’t bought the PC case, the dimensions will determine which GPUs you can and cannot buy.
The GTX 1660 Ti measures 229mm inches in length and 35mm in height. It has dual slots with a width of 111mm. both GPUs share the same height and width, but the RTX 2060 is longer by 2mm.
The GTX 1660 Ti GPU has a die area of 445mm-squared, 10,800 million transistors and a board that draws 130 watts of power. The RTX 2060 has a higher power draw of 160 watts and requires a next-generation 6-phase power supply that allows for maximum overclocking.
Both of the systems connect via the same pin – an 8-pin connector and they also use a PCI Express 3.0 x 16 interface.
For the outputs, the GTX 1660 Ti has fewer ports. They include the DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort. The GPU also has an entirely new USB Type-C port.
Resolution
The resolution is where you can truly determine the type of GPU you want. Most of the features on the card all add up to delivering a better viewing experience. Under resolution is where you get to see the true performance of the card. Typically, GPUs with better resolutions are often considered to be superior for obvious reasons.
The GTX 1660 Ti is a big jump from the GTX 1070, which was before it, not to mention that is comes dangerously close to the performance of the RTX 2060.
Although the 1660Ti is not truly at par with the RTX 2060, neither of the cards struggles. They both perform exceptionally well across the board consistently pushing out around 60 frames per second.
When playing in 4K, the GTX 1660 Ti struggles slightly. But in 1080p, it has exceptional performance. It also has decent frame rates when playing at 1440p. the RTX 2060 fairs better at 4K and 1440p settings.
The RTX 2060 is a better choice in this case because of its faster and smoother gameplay with lower chances of lags. It also has more room for future-proofing.
Ray Tracing
The RTX 2060 has AI-enhanced graphics that offer real-time ray tracing which sharpens up your shadowy imagery for a more immersive gaming experience with more realistic detail in your games.
The RTX 2060 is a more reasonably priced entry point to premium features like ray tracing and DLSS technology with a stunning performance in your games.
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If ray tracing is a priority and you want to utilize it sooner, the RTX 2060 is a clear winner. The RTX 2060 is also better suited for gamers that are keen on future-proofing. The GTX 1660 Ti though competitive doesn’t have the correct cores or the architecture to run the same technology which is one of the reasons why it is more affordable than the RTX 2060.
VRAM
The GTX 1660 Ti comes with 6GB GDDR5 memory while the RTX 2060 has 6GB GDDR6. On the surface, this looks like a minor difference. But it couldn’t be further from the truth.
GDDR6 is a newer and more efficient technology that uses a 192-bit memory interface. It runs comfortably at 14 GBPS for smooth operation. It is faster than the GTX 1660 Ti which has 12 GBPs instead. The faster GPU can retrieve data and images quicker and reduce loading time.
The GTX 1660 Ti has the same 192-bit memory interface, but there’s a difference in the amount of memory bandwidth the GPU has. The GTX 1660 Ti has 288 GB/s and the RTX 2060 has a much faster 336 GB/s.
Price
Most gamers look at the price tag before anything else. Although it’s a great way to narrow down your options, it can also make you miss out on great deals. Pick various products in the same price range, compare the features and then consider the price as the last factor. This way, you’re not just looking at the cheapest GPU at your budget but the one that gives you the most value for your money.
If you’re on a tight budget, the GTX 1660 Ti is the best option. It offers a balance of premium features at a pocket-friendly price. The RTX 2060 sets you back further. But, spending a little extra or saving for an extra month proves worthwhile. The RTX 2060 offers a better in-game experience and it is more future-proof. While you might save some money buying the GTX 1660 Ti, you will need to upgrade as soon as you get into 4K gaming.
Which One is the Best For You?
After considering all these factors, it’s time to choose which GPU fits your needs the best. For most new gamers, the GTX 1660 Ti is an excellent choice. It has all the right features and will ensure you get the best possible experience during your initial years as a game.
The GTX 1660 Ti is also a formidable choice for intermediate gamers. However, for gamers already into 1080 gaming, the RTX 2060 is a more suitable option because it can support 1440p gaming and light 4K gaming which saves you the trouble of upgrading in the near future.
The most advisable approach in determining which of the two GPUs is best for you is considering your current and near future needs first then comparing which GPU has features that best align with your needs.