GeForce GTX 1660 vs GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1660

2019Core: 1530 MHzBoost: 1785 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile

2024Core: 1065 MHzBoost: 1343 MHz
RTX family
·······

GeForce GTX 1660 vs GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile 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 vs GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile 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 vs GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile: 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

2019

Why buy it

  • 11.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 53.1 vs 0 G3D/$ ($219 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 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.
  • 166.7% higher power demand at 120W vs 45W.

GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile

2024

Why buy it

  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 45W instead of 120W, a 75W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1660 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 53.1 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $219 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 1660 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 11.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3.3% in PassMark G3D (11,639 vs 11,269), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 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 14 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 GTX 1660 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1660 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1660 vs GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile

The GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in 2024. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1065 MHz to 1343 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 14 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,269 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1660 scores 11,639 and the GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile reaches 11,269 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1660 is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,408 (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 1,792 (GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile). Raw compute: 5.027 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 4.813 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile). Boost clocks: 1785 MHz vs 1343 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1660GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
G3D Mark Score
11,639+3%
11,269
Architecture
Turing
Ampere
Process Node
12 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
1408
1792+27%
Compute (TFLOPS)
5.027 TFLOPS+4%
4.813 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1785 MHz+33%
1343 MHz
ROPs
48+50%
32
TMUs
88+57%
56
L1 Cache
1.4 MB
1.8 MB+29%
L2 Cache
1.5 MB
2 MB+33%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1660 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1660GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
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 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 128 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile) — a 50% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1660. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1660 and 64-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile) — the GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1660GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s+50%
128 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit+200%
64-bit
L2 Cache
1.5 MB
2 MB+33%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1660GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
DirectX
12.1
12.2
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 7th Gen NVENC (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1660) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1660GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
Encoder
7th Gen NVENC
8th Gen NVENC
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1660 draws 120W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile's 45W — a 90.9% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 229mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1660GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
TDP
120W
45W-63%
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
75°C
Perf/Watt
97.0
250.4+158%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (2024 vs 2019).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1660GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
MSRP
$219
Codename
TU116
GA106
Release
March 14 2019
2024
Ranking
#231
#242

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