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 660 vs GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design 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 660 vs GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design: 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 660

2012

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 17.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2012 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌86.7% higher power demand at 140W vs 75W.

GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design

2018

Why buy it

✅36.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅GeForce GTX 660 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 75W instead of 140W, a 65W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2018 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 17.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $229 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 36.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 660 instead at 4,040 vs 3,925, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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

GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 3 GB of VRAM, a 14nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2012. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 660 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 660 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 660 vs GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design Technical Specifications

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

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.

GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 3 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1152 MHz to 1417 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,925 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 660 scores 4,040 and the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design reaches 3,925 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 660 is built on Kepler while the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 960 (GeForce GTX 660) vs 768 (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design). Raw compute: 1.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 660) vs 2.177 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design). Boost clocks: 1033 MHz vs 1417 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 660	GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design
G3D Mark Score	4,040+3%	3,925
Architecture	Kepler	Pascal
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	960+25%	768
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.981 TFLOPS	2.177 TFLOPS+10%
Boost Clock	1033 MHz	1417 MHz+37%
ROPs	24	32+33%
TMUs	80+67%	48
L1 Cache	80 KB	288 KB+260%
L2 Cache	0.38 MB	1 MB+163%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 660	GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design
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 660 has 3 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design carries 4 GB. GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 144.2 GB/s (GeForce GTX 660) vs 80 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design) — a 80.2% advantage for the GeForce GTX 660. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 660 and 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design. L2 Cache: 0.38 MB (GeForce GTX 660) vs 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design) — the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 660	GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	144.2 GB/s+80%	80 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	0.38 MB	1 MB+163%

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 660) vs 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 660	GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design
DirectX	12	12 (12_1)
Max Displays	4	4

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 660) vs NVENC (6th Gen) (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs NVDEC (3rd Gen). Supported codecs: H.264 (GeForce GTX 660) vs H.264,H.265 (HEVC),VP9 (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design).

Feature	GeForce GTX 660	GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design
Encoder	NVENC 1st Gen	NVENC (6th Gen)
Decoder	NVDEC 1st Gen	NVDEC (3rd Gen)
Codecs	H.264	H.264,H.265 (HEVC),VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 660 draws 140W versus the GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design's 75W — a 60.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce GTX 660) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	GeForce GTX 660	GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design
TDP	140W	75W-46%
Recommended PSU	450W	350W-22%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	241mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	—	70°C
Perf/Watt	28.9	52.3+81%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design (2018 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GTX 660	GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design
MSRP	$229	—
Codename	GK106	GP107
Release	September 6 2012	January 3 2018
Ranking	#490	#429

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