GeForce GTX 1660 Ti vs GeForce RTX 3060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti

2019Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1770 MHz
GTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
·······

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti vs GeForce RTX 3060 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti vs GeForce RTX 3060 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti vs GeForce RTX 3060: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti

2019

Why buy it

  • Costs $50 less on MSRP ($279 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
  • Draws 120W instead of 170W, a 50W reduction.
  • Measures 229mm instead of 242mm, a 13mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • GeForce RTX 3060 is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 45.7 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • 36.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 13.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 45.7 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 41.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 120W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 36.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 33.3% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 12,747), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 12nm, and 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 more expensive on MSRP at $329 vs $279, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 13.1% (51.7 vs 45.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti

The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 22 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1770 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,747 points. Launch price was $279.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

The GeForce RTX 3060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,995 points. Launch price was $329.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti scores 12,747 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 33.3%. The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 5.437 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1770 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1660 TiGeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
12,747
16,995+33%
Architecture
Turing
Ampere
Process Node
12 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
1536
3584+133%
Compute (TFLOPS)
5.437 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+134%
Boost Clock
1770 MHz
1777 MHz
ROPs
48
48
TMUs
96
112+17%
L1 Cache
1.5 MB
3.5 MB+133%
L2 Cache
1.5 MB
3 MB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1660 TiGeForce RTX 3060
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti has 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 25% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1660 TiGeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
12 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
288 GB/s
360 GB/s+25%
Bus Width
192-bit
192-bit
L2 Cache
1.5 MB
3 MB+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1660 TiGeForce RTX 3060
DirectX
12
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.4+8%
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: NVDEC 4th gen vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1660 TiGeForce RTX 3060
Encoder
NVENC 7th gen
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
NVDEC 4th gen
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti draws 120W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 34.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1660 TiGeForce RTX 3060
TDP
120W-29%
170W
Recommended PSU
450W-18%
550W
Power Connector
8-pin
8-pin
Length
229mm
242mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
75
Perf/Watt
106.2+6%
100.0
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti came in at $279, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti was 15.2% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 45.7 (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 13.1% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2019).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1660 TiGeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$279-15%
$329
Performance per Dollar
45.7
51.7+13%
Codename
TU116
GA106
Release
February 22 2019
January 12 2021
Ranking
#204
#114

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