RTX 2060 vs GTX 1660 Ti: Choosing the best graphics card for you

This year saw the release of Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2060 following the polarising release of their GeForce RTX 2070, 2080, and 2080 Ti for premium gamers.

You can view our range of NVIDIA RTX 2060 Graphics Cards here

You can view our range of NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti Graphics Cards here

The GeForce RTX 2060 is an affordable companion RTX graphics card for Deep Learning Super Sampling and real-time ray tracing, perfect for gamers in need of an upgrade with advanced GPU features from the RTX series.

Now we have the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti and the GTX 1660. The GTX 1660 Ti might not shine with the same features as Nvidia’s RTX cards but comes at an appealing price that gives the previous generation GeForce GTX 1060 some heavy competition.

If price is your main concern, the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is the clear winner at roughly £70 cheaper. But, price aside, which card is better to buy for the weight of features and future-proofing?

Let’s put them head to head: the RTX 2060 versus the GTX 1660 Ti. 

RTX series versus GTX series

You’ve probably heard of the shiny new features from the GeForce RTX cards. All GeForce RTX cards support Deep Learning Super Sampling and real-time ray tracing. The GTX 1660 Ti lacks the required Tensor and RT cores to host these features.

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However, if you don’t currently care for real-time ray tracing – as many games don’t currently support it – then the RTX probably won’t seem as attractive. Currently, Metro Exodus and Battlefield 5 are the only games that support both features. This will probably change in the coming year but for now, RTX’s exciting features may not appeal to the common consumer.

Specs comparison

Both cards MAY appear similar on the surface because of their relation as 60 parts in the GTX and RTX series. But, if you look at the specs, there’s a lot that separates them.

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti:

Stream processors (CUDA cores): 1536

ROPs: 48

Tensor cores: Not Available

RT cores: Not Available

Core Clock: 1500MHz

Boost Clock: 1770MHz

Memory Clock: 12Gbps GDDR6

Memory interface: 192-bit

Memory bandwidth: 288GB/s

VRAM: 6GB

TDP: 120W

Architecture: Turing

GPU: TU116 (284 mm2)

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GeForce RTX 2060 specs:

Stream processors (CUDA cores): 1920

ROPs: 48

Tensor cores: 240

RT cores: 30

Core Clock: 1365MHz

Boost Clock: 1680MHz

Memory Clock: 14Gbps GDDR6

Memory interface: 192-bit

Memory bandwidth: 336GB/s

VRAM: 6GB

TDP: 160W

Architecture: Turing

GPU: TU106 (445 mm2)

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The specs speak for themselves. Check them out and see what matches up with what you desire from a GPU for your system.  

Performance

At the end of the day, it all comes down to the performance of these graphics’ cards. The RTX 2060 comes out as the fastest card, with additional CUDA cores and swifter memory.

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Both cards easily carry 60 frames per second up to Ultra quality settings with most conventional games. This is impressive for the GTX 1660 Ti because it rises above the previous GTX 1070 in this regard. The RTX 2060, however, levels closer to the GTX 1070 Ti.

Price

The RTX 2060 is the cheapest RTX card currently available but is still more expensive than the GTX 1660 Ti. The GTX 1660 Ti is also the only Turing-based card that is generally cheaper than £300 with most of their variants.

Just remember that the higher priced RTX 2060 will give you more future-proofing options and provides users with real-time ray tracing and Deep Learning Super Sampling.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, it all depends on what you are looking for from features, performance and your budget. The GTX 1660 Ti is the Turing card that many of you have been waiting for and is a fantastic purchase for those that don’t want to stretch their budget beyond £300.

However, if you are looking to invest in a solid graphics card that is boosted with the latest features and will proof your system for the foreseeable future, then the RTX 2060 really is the faster card with superiorly boosted performance. And at the end of the day, that’s what we are all looking for in a graphics card – right?

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If you are building a new PC, then pick the RTX 2060. If you are simply looking to upgrade your system with a new graphics card, the GTX 1660 Ti is probably the more sensible option, if the latest features of real-time ray tracing don’t appeal to you.

Both graphics’ cards are fantastic additions to the already heavy market and they each have brilliant options for every kind of PC user, from gamers to professionals. Consider what you want from your system and check out these GPUs guys. Great work from yet again Nvidia!  

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!

You can view our range of NVIDIA RTX 2060 Graphics Cards here

You can view our range of NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti Graphics Cards here