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 480 vs GeForce GTX 660 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 480 vs GeForce GTX 660: 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 480

2010

Why buy it

✅75.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 3 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2010 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
117.9% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.2 vs 17.6 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
❌78.6% higher power demand at 250W vs 140W.

GeForce GTX 660

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $270 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 116% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 17.6 vs 8.2 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (3 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 140W instead of 250W, a 110W reduction.
✅Measures 241mm instead of 267mm, a 26mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 480 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2012 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 480 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 75.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.9% in PassMark G3D (4,075 vs 4,040), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GTX 480 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 660 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $270 cheaper on MSRP at $229 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 116% (17.6 vs 8.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 660 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 480 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 480 vs GeForce GTX 660 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 480

The GeForce GTX 480 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 26 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 700 MHz. It has 480 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,075 points. Launch price was $499.

GeForce GTX 660

The GeForce GTX 660 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 6 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 980 MHz to 1033 MHz. It has 960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 140W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,040 points. Launch price was $229.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 480 scores 4,075 and the GeForce GTX 660 reaches 4,040 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 480 is built on Fermi while the GeForce GTX 660 uses Kepler, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 480 (GeForce GTX 480) vs 960 (GeForce GTX 660). Raw compute: 1.345 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 480) vs 1.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 660).

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	GeForce GTX 660
G3D Mark Score	4,075	4,040
Architecture	Fermi	Kepler
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	480	960+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.345 TFLOPS	1.981 TFLOPS+47%
ROPs	48+100%	24
TMUs	60	80+33%
L1 Cache	960 KB+1100%	80 KB
L2 Cache	768 KB+100%	384 KB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	GeForce GTX 660
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 480 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 660 carries 3 GB. GeForce GTX 660 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 177.4 GB/s (GeForce GTX 480) vs 144.2 GB/s (GeForce GTX 660) — a 23% advantage for the GeForce GTX 480. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce GTX 480 and 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 660. L2 Cache: 768 KB (GeForce GTX 480) vs 384 KB (GeForce GTX 660) — the GeForce GTX 480 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	GeForce GTX 660
VRAM Capacity	1.5 GB	3 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	177.4 GB/s+23%	144.2 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+100%	192-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+100%	384 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 480) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 660). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	GeForce GTX 660
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12
Max Displays	2	4+100%

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP4 (GeForce GTX 480) vs NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 660). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs NVDEC 1st Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GTX 480) vs H.264 (GeForce GTX 660).

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	GeForce GTX 660
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP4	NVENC 1st Gen
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	NVDEC 1st Gen
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP	H.264

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 480 draws 250W versus the GeForce GTX 660's 140W — a 56.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 660 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 480) vs 450W (GeForce GTX 660). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	GeForce GTX 660
TDP	250W	140W-44%
Recommended PSU	600W	450W-25%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	267mm	241mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	90°C	—
Perf/Watt	16.3	28.9+77%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 480 came in at $499, while the GeForce GTX 660 launched at $229. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 660 was 54.1% cheaper ($270 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 8.2 (GeForce GTX 480) vs 17.6 (GeForce GTX 660) — the GeForce GTX 660 offers 114.6% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 660 (2012 vs 2010).

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	GeForce GTX 660
MSRP	$499	$229-54%
Performance per Dollar	8.2	17.6+115%
Codename	GF100	GK106
Release	March 26 2010	September 6 2012
Ranking	#488	#490

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