Conclusion
There you have it, another “SUPER” refresh, NVIDIA has launched the GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER and announced the GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER. The latter will come later, next month. Today we dove into the GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER and reviewed the GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER OC 6G with pricing of $229.99 after rebate.
What is the GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER? The GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is a GeForce GTX 1660 TU116 GPU using faster memory, 6GB of GDDR6 at 14GHz. With this faster memory, it can provide 75% more memory bandwidth at 336GB/sec versus 192GB/sec previously. This raw memory bandwidth improvement can provide up to 1.5x performance according to NVIDIA. The reference pricing is $10 higher at $229 and the TDP is 5W higher. The GeForce GTX 1660 will remain as the entry-level for the GTX 1660 series at $219.
GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER OC 6G
The GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER OC 6G is a video card using the GTX 1660 TU116 GPU and that faster memory and giving us customized hardware and a factory overclock. The factory overclock has a GPU Boost set at 1830MHz. In addition, it has improved cooling, 8-pin power connector and plenty of headroom for overclocking in a compact video card. This really is a small video card that should fit easier in small cases.
Overclock
We found that it does boost beyond the 1830MHz GPU Boost speed up to an average of 1877MHz while gaming. This means you get very fast out-of-box performance. We were impressed with the level of overclocking we got out of it. We were able to boost the overclock by 10% up to 2061MHz average and overclock the memory up to 15GHz. That brings the memory bandwidth up to 360GB/sec.
Overall the overclock improved performance between 6-11% at best. The overclock had a larger advantage at 1080p and a degrading advantage the higher the resolution. Since the GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is geared for a 1080p experience this works out really well in practice.
Performance
In terms of performance there is no question that this is a great 1080p video card. In all but a couple of games, we were able to find them playable at 1080p with the maximum graphics settings. Call of Duty, Ghost Recon, Gears 5, Tomb Raider and Wolfenstein were all playable at maximum settings at 1080p. Only in the most graphically intense games Control and Metro Exodus did we have to lower settings at 1080p to be playable.
1440p is not really this video cards cup of tea, but we still managed to find a level of gameplay that was playable. We just had to lower the in-game settings to do so, except for Wolfenstein. The more demanding games like Control and Metro are pretty much out of the question at 1440p though. Of course, 4K isn’t really an option either.
Final Points
When it comes down to it, we can safely say that the GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER OC 6G is best suited for “High” gaming 1080p and “Medium” gaming at 1440p. That means overall this is a perfect 1080p video card for the money. We definitely recommend spending that extra money to get the SUPER version with the faster memory, it’s so worth it, especially in the long-run.
GIGABYTE has made a solid custom video card and overclocking headroom. The only area that makes us look twice is the GPU temperature and the need for the fans to run as fast as they do to maintain 68c. By default, the fans run at 73% to maintain 68c. The GPU temperature is not bad, however considering the lower power demand of this GPU, its inherent efficiency and 12nm FFN manufacturing process you would think it might run just a little cooler than it does or not require such a high-speed fan. To keep the GPU under 70c when overclocking we have to run 90% fan speed.
There might be some room there for some improvements in cooling. The configuration is adequate, it is not holding us back, and it does not hold back overclocking. But there is room for improvement. Otherwise, the video card is very compact, it certainly has a size advantage by being able to fit in smaller cases. That allows smaller form factory computers to enjoy a great gaming experience at 1080p, just make sure you have good case cooling in a small form factor computer.
We can easily recommend the GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER OC 6G video card if you are market for a fast 1080p gaming affordable video card. This one is not overpriced, it will be $229.99 after rebate and it provides a high-end 1080p experience at a great price.
