The Nvidia GTX 1660 Super shouldn't still be this popular. Honestly, in a world where we’re talking about path tracing, AI-driven frame generation, and cards that cost as much as a used Honda Civic, a GPU from late 2019 feels like a relic. It’s a Turing-architecture chip without the "RTX" bells and whistles. No dedicated Ray Tracing cores. No Tensor cores for DLSS.
But here’s the thing.
People are still buying them. Thousands of them. If you hop on Steam’s Hardware Survey right now, you’ll see this card consistently hanging out in the top ten most used GPUs globally. It’s the "Old Reliable" of the PC gaming world. While the shiny New Gen cards get the headlines, the 1660 Super is doing the actual work in bedrooms and dorm rooms everywhere.
What the Nvidia GTX 1660 Super Actually Is (and Isn't)
Most people get confused about where this card sits in the lineup. It launched as a weird middle child. You had the base 1660, which was fine but a bit sluggish, and the 1660 Ti, which was faster but too expensive. Nvidia basically took the base 1660, slapped much faster GDDR6 memory on it, and called it a day.
That one change—the memory—changed everything.
The 1660 Super has a memory bandwidth of 336 GB/s. For context, that’s actually faster than the original 1660 Ti. It’s a 1080p beast. If you’re trying to play Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K with everything cranked to Psycho settings, you’re going to have a bad time. Your PC will probably sound like a jet engine taking off before the game crashes. But for the average person who just wants to play Valorant, Fortnite, or Apex Legends at high frame rates on a standard monitor? It’s kind of a sweetheart.
The GDDR6 Secret Sauce
Why does the memory matter so much? Imagine you have a fast car but the road is only one lane wide. That’s the original 1660. The 1660 Super opens up a six-lane highway. Even though the actual GPU core (the TU116) didn't change much, the ability to shove data through that pipe faster meant a massive jump in "one percent lows."
That’s a technical term for "how much the game stutters."
A card can have a high average FPS, but if it drops to 10 FPS every time an explosion happens, it feels like garbage. The Nvidia GTX 1660 Super stays remarkably stable. You’ve got 6GB of VRAM, which is... okay. It’s the bare minimum for 2026. In modern titles like Alan Wake 2 or the latest Call of Duty, you’ll start seeing "Low Video Memory" warnings if you try to max out the textures. You have to be realistic.
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Let's Talk About the "No DLSS" Problem
This is the biggest hurdle. Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) is magic. It uses AI to make games look better and run faster. Because the 1660 Super lacks Tensor cores, it can't run DLSS. Period.
You’re stuck with native resolution or FSR (AMD’s version).
AMD was actually pretty cool for making FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) work on Nvidia cards. If you're struggling to hit 60 FPS in a modern game on your 1660 Super, you can toggle FSR to "Quality" or "Balanced." It won't look as sharp as DLSS, but it keeps the card relevant. Without FSR, this card would have died two years ago.
Real World Performance: What Can You Actually Play?
I’ve spent hundreds of hours testing these mid-range Turing cards.
- Esports Titles: League of Legends, CS2, and Rainbow Six Siege are a joke for this card. You’ll easily clear 144+ FPS at 1080p High settings. If you have a high-refresh monitor, this is your budget ticket to competitive play.
- AAA Games (The Heavy Hitters): Red Dead Redemption 2 runs beautifully on a mix of Medium and High settings. You’ll stay around 50-60 FPS, which is plenty for a cinematic game. Starfield? That’s a different story. You'll be looking at 30-40 FPS and needing to use every optimization trick in the book.
- Ray Tracing: Just don't. Technically, Nvidia enabled "software-based" ray tracing for these cards via a driver update years ago. It’s a trap. If you turn on Ray Tracing on a 1660 Super, your frame rate will drop into the single digits. It’s like trying to run a marathon in flip-flops.
The Used Market Minefield
You shouldn't buy a brand new 1660 Super in 2026. Seriously.
If you find one "New In Box" on Amazon or Newegg, it’s probably overpriced at $200 or more. At that price, you should be looking at an RTX 3060 or an RX 6600. The 1660 Super is a king of the used market.
You can often find these on eBay or local marketplaces for $90 to $120. At a hundred bucks, nothing touches it. But you have to be careful. A lot of these cards were used in mining rigs during the crypto booms. Mining isn't necessarily a death sentence for a GPU, but you want to check for "fan wobble" or excessive dust buildup.
If the seller says "never mined on, only used by my grandmother for Solitaire," they’re probably lying. Look for cards from reputable brands like EVGA (RIP), ASUS (their TUF series is tank-like), or MSI. Avoid the single-fan "Mini" versions if you can; they run hot and loud.
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Power Consumption and Build Simplicity
One reason the Nvidia GTX 1660 Super is a favorite for budget builders is that it’s incredibly efficient. It only has a TDP of 125 watts.
What does that mean for you?
It means you don't need a massive, expensive 850W power supply. A basic 450W or 500W unit from a decent brand like Corsair or Seasonic will handle it with ease. It usually only requires a single 8-pin PCIe power connector.
If you're upgrading an old "office" PC from Dell or HP (the classic "Optiplex Gaming" move), this is often the best card you can fit without needing to replace the whole power supply. It’s small, it’s cool, and it doesn't demand much.
The NVENC Factor: A Secret Weapon for Streamers
If you’re a budding streamer on a budget, this is actually a huge selling point. The 1660 Super features the Turing NVENC encoder. This is the same hardware encoder found on the much more expensive RTX 20-series cards.
It allows your GPU to handle the heavy lifting of encoding your stream to Twitch or YouTube, rather than your CPU. It’s incredibly efficient. You can stream 1080p/60fps with minimal impact on your game's performance. For a card that costs $100 used, having a pro-grade encoder built-in is kind of insane.
Comparing the Competition
Let's be real for a second.
The AMD RX 6600 is often the better buy if you have an extra $50. It’s newer, faster, and has more VRAM. But in the ultra-budget category—where every dollar matters—the Nvidia GTX 1660 Super holds its ground because of its driver stability.
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Nvidia’s drivers are, generally speaking, less finicky than AMD’s older budget drivers. If you want a "plug and play" experience where you don't have to worry about shader cache stuttering as much, the Green Team still has a slight edge in this specific price bracket.
Is the 6GB VRAM a Dealbreaker?
Sort of.
In 2026, games are getting hungrier. The Last of Us Part I on PC is notorious for eating VRAM. If you play on a 1660 Super, you will have to turn textures down to "Medium." If you can't live without Ultra textures, you need to skip this card.
But if you’re okay with Medium-High settings at 1080p, 6GB is still enough to get by. Just don't try to play at 1440p. The card simply isn't built for it. The resolution increase puts too much strain on the 6GB buffer, and you’ll see massive frame drops.
Why Some Experts Say to Avoid It
Not everyone loves this card anymore. Hardware Unboxed and Steve from Gamers Nexus have pointed out that as we move further into the "current gen" of consoles (PS5/Series X), games are being built with higher baseline specs.
The 1660 Super is essentially a "last-gen" card.
Eventually, drivers will stop being optimized for the Turing architecture. We aren't there yet—Nvidia is still supporting cards much older than this—but the clock is ticking. You’re buying into a platform that is in its twilight years.
How to Get the Most Out of Your 1660 Super
If you already own one or just picked one up, don't just leave it at stock settings.
- Overclock the Memory: Since the Super is all about that GDDR6, you can often push the memory clock significantly higher using MSI Afterburner. Many users can get an extra +500MHz to +800MHz on the memory without any instability, which translates to free performance.
- Clean the Fins: These cards are getting old. If you buy used, take the shroud off (if you're comfortable) and blow out the dust. Replacing the thermal paste can drop temperatures by 10 degrees Celsius, which keeps the card from "throttling" its speed.
- Use Reflex: If you play competitive games, enable Nvidia Reflex in the game settings. It reduces system latency, making the 1660 Super feel much snappier, even if your frame rate isn't in the hundreds.
Actionable Next Steps for Buyers
If you’re looking at the Nvidia GTX 1660 Super today, here is your path forward:
- Check Your Budget First: If you have more than $180, stop looking at this card and buy an RX 6600 or a used RTX 3060. The performance jump is worth the extra cash.
- The $100 Rule: If you are shopping on eBay or Facebook Marketplace, do not pay more than $115 for a 1660 Super. If the price is higher, you're getting a bad deal.
- Identify Your Games: If your main games are Roblox, Minecraft (with moderate shaders), Fortnite, or Valorant, buy with confidence. If you want to play GTA VI when it finally hits PC, you might want to save up for something with at least 8GB or 12GB of VRAM.
- Verify the Model: Make sure it is actually the "Super" version. The non-Super 1660 uses GDDR5 memory and is significantly slower. Check the label on the back of the card before handing over any money.
The Nvidia GTX 1660 Super isn't a "future-proof" component. It’s a "right now" component. It’s for the gamer who needs to play their favorite titles today without breaking the bank. It represents the end of an era where you could get a solid, reliable gaming experience for a hundred bucks. In 2026, it remains the ultimate gatekeeper for budget PC gaming.