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 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB 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 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB: 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 with Max-Q Design

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 60W instead of 70W, a 10W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 6GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Older hardware, 6 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 63.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $169 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

✅0.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌16.7% higher power demand at 70W vs 60W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 0.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 25.1% in PassMark G3D (10,749 vs 8,589), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 12nm, 18 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2019. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 23 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1140 MHz to 1335 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 60W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,589 points. Launch price was $229.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 2 2024. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1042 MHz to 1470 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 18 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,749 points. Launch price was $179.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design scores 8,589 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 10,749 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 25.1%. The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Raw compute: 4.101 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Boost clocks: 1335 MHz vs 1470 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
G3D Mark Score	8,589	10,749+25%
Architecture	Turing	Ampere
Process Node	12 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1536	2304+50%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.101 TFLOPS	6.774 TFLOPS+65%
Boost Clock	1335 MHz	1470 MHz+10%
ROPs	48+50%	32
TMUs	96+33%	72
L1 Cache	1.5 MB	2.3 MB+53%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	2 MB+33%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
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)

Both cards ship with 6 GB of GDDR6. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs 168 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — a 71.4% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design and 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s+71%	168 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit+100%	96-bit
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	2 MB+33%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.4+8%	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 7th Gen NVENC (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Decoder: 4th Gen NVDEC vs NVDEC (7th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Encoder	7th Gen NVENC	NVENC (5th Gen)
Decoder	4th Gen NVDEC	NVDEC (7th Gen)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design draws 60W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 70W — a 15.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design) vs 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs None. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
TDP	60W-14%	70W
Recommended PSU	500W	300W-40%
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	None
Length	—	160mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	143.2	153.6+7%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2019).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
MSRP	—	$169
Codename	TU116	GA107
Release	April 23 2019	February 2 2024
Ranking	#299	#252

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