GeForce GTX 1660 vs GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design
GeForce GTX 1660
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GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The GeForce GTX 1660 uses modern memory architecture. The GeForce GTX 1660 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce GTX 1660 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.6% higher G3D Mark score. However, the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | GeForce GTX 1660 | GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.6%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.6%) |
| Longevity | Turing (2018−2022) (12nm) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2017 / Pascal (2016−2021)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | 🎮 High Capacity (6 GB) | ✅ More VRAM (+33.3%) |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | — |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce GTX 1660 remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.
Performance Check
Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.
Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1660 and GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design
GeForce GTX 1660
The GeForce GTX 1660 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 14 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1530 MHz to 1785 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,639 points. Launch price was $219.
GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design
The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 27 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1290 MHz to 1468 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,566 points.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GTX 1660 scores 11,639 and the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design reaches 11,566 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1660 is built on Turing while the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design uses Pascal, both on 12 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 1,408 (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design). Raw compute: 5.027 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 7.516 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design). Boost clocks: 1785 MHz vs 1468 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1660 | GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 11,639 | 11,566 |
| Architecture | Turing | Pascal |
| Process Node | 12 nm | 16 nm |
| Shading Units | 1408 | 2560+82% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 5.027 TFLOPS | 7.516 TFLOPS+50% |
| Boost Clock | 1785 MHz+22% | 1468 MHz |
| ROPs | 48 | 64+33% |
| TMUs | 88 | 160+82% |
| L1 Cache | 1.4 MB+49% | 0.94 MB |
| L2 Cache | 1.5 MB | 2 MB+33% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1660 | GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 2.1 (Compatible) | FSR 2.1 (Compatible) |
| Frame Generation | FSR 3 (Compatible) | FSR 3 (Compatible) |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | Standard | Standard |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce GTX 1660 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design has 8 GB. The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 256 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) — a 33.3% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) — the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1660 | GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 6 GB | 8 GB+33% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5X |
| Memory Bandwidth | 192 GB/s | 256 GB/s+33% |
| Bus Width | 192-bit | 256-bit+33% |
| L2 Cache | 1.5 MB | 2 MB+33% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1660 | GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12.1 | 12.1 |
| Vulkan | 1.3+18% | 1.1 |
| OpenGL | 4.6+2% | 4.5 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: 7th Gen NVENC (GeForce GTX 1660) vs NVENC 4.0 (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1660) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1660 | GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | 7th Gen NVENC | NVENC 4.0 |
| Decoder | 5th Gen NVDEC | PureVideo HD VP6 |
| Codecs | MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 | MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 1660 draws 120W versus the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design's 150W — a 22.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 1660 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 229mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80°C.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1660 | GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 120W-20% | 150W |
| Recommended PSU | 450W-10% | 500W |
| Power Connector | 8-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 229mm | 0mm |
| Height | 111mm | 0mm |
| Slots | 2 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | 75°C-6% | 80°C |
| Perf/Watt | 97.0+26% | 77.1 |
Value Analysis
The GeForce GTX 1660 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2017).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1660 | GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $219 | — |
| Avg Price (30d) | $180 | — |
| Codename | TU116 | GP104 |
| Release | March 14 2019 | June 27 2017 |
| Ranking | #231 | #257 |
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