GTX 1660 vs RX 590
In this article, we have compared two popular graphics cards, the Nvidia GTX 1660 and the RX 590.
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If you are on the hunt for a good quality graphics card, you have likely come across two companies – AMD and Nvidia. It can be a tough choice deciding between the two.
If you are looking for a budget-friendly graphics card created by one of these companies then look no further. In this article, we have compared two of their popular GPUs, the Nvidia GTX 1660, and the RX 590.
We have taken a closer look at specifications such as VRAM, architecture, and cooling to see which is the better of the two. We have also benchmarked the fps and gameplay.
AMD/Nvidia
AMD has been an established company for significantly longer than Nvidia, and when it comes to PC components their CPUs are some of the best available. In recent years AMD has seriously stepped up the GPU game and has begun to rival Nvidia.
While Nvidia is a fairly new company in comparison to AMD, their GPUs continue to impress and are some of the best available. Nvidia is constantly improving the specifications of its GPUs, especially when looking at high-end models.
While Nvidia does take center stage with their more expensive GPUs, AMD has significantly closed the gap. When it comes to the more affordable graphics cards, it is becoming increasingly difficult to choose between the two.
Architecture
The architecture that a GPU has is important. It will determine the overall graphics and performance speeds of your game. The better the architecture is, the fewer issues you will have with loading speeds and overall performance.
The Nvidia GTX 1660 uses Nvidia Turing Architecture. This remains one of the best GPU architectures available currently. This architecture boasts concurrent execution and is 1.4 x more power efficient in comparison to previous Nvidia GPUs. Nvidia Turing runs faster overall and provides a cooler gaming experience. It supports Nvidia Ansel and is compatible with DirectX 12.
The AMD RX 590 uses 4th-Gen GCN architecture – Polaris. It has increased the performance of the AMD GPUs significantly in comparison to previous models. It supports VR, next-gen gaming, and uses the newest 14nm FinFET. It supports DirectX 12 and Vulkan.
The clock speeds of the GTX 1660 and the RX 590 are:
GTX 1660:
- Base Clock – 1530MHz
- Boost Clock – 1758MHz
RX 590:
- Base Clock – 1469MHz
- Boost Clock – 1545MHz
When looking at the raw clock speeds, the GTX 1660 does seem to be the better GPU. However, the base clock of the RX 590 is great. The real test comes when both graphics cards are benchmarked.
Cooling
While graphics cards come with cooling systems, if the graphics card is working close to its maximum temperature, you may need to provide additional cooling.
The GTX 1660 has a dual-fan cooling system that helps to dissipate heat and keep your GPU cool. The RX 590 uses a Windforce 2X with a 90mm Blade Fan Design.
In addition to the fans and cooling system, the temperature specs are important. The maximum temperature of the GTX 1660 is 96℃, and for the RX 590, it is around 78℃. This is quite a significant difference and if you were planning to overclock, the 1660 the better option.
The power draw of the GTX 1660 is 120W and for the RX 590, it is 175W. The RX 590 is far more power-hungry. The recommended system power for the 1660 is 450W and for the 590 it is around 450W.
Dimensions
You will need to ensure that the GPUs dimensions are suitable for your build. In addition to this, you will need to ensure that the GPU has the correct slot width and is compatible with your motherboard.
Here are the dimensions for each graphics card:
GTX 1660
Length – 5.7”
Width – 2-Slot
RX 590
Length – 9.5”
Width – Dual-Slot
While they both feature a dual-slot, the GTX 1660 is significantly smaller than the RX 590 and will take up less space in your build. It is the better option for smaller towers.
Both GPUs have a bus interface of PCIe 3.0 x 16. While this is currently suitable, PCIe 4.0 has now been released so there is a limited amount of time there’s GPUs will be futureproofed for.
Resolutions/FPS
When you are comparing two GPUs, two of the most important specs to focus on are the resolution and the fps.
The RX 590 has a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1440 and the GTX 1660 has a resolution of 7680 x 4320. While the GTX 1660 does have the better resolution overall, they are both capable of 4K gameplay. However, the majority of gamers will use a 1080p resolution, therefore both GPUs will run games at this resolution smoothly and tear-free
Next, we benchmarked both GPUs. Overall, the 1660 did perform better than the 590, which is not overly surprising. However, what is interesting is that when looking at the gameplay, both GPUs performed equally as well.
When looking at the average score, the 1660 was 14% better. It had 35% better reflection handling, and 24% better lighting effects. The reflection for the GTX 1660 was 92.7 fps, and for the RX 590, it was 68.5%.
When overclocked, again the GTX 1660 came out on top. It was 23% better overall. While the MRender and Gravity proved to be almost identical, the reflection handling of the GTX 1660, again, was far better at 77%. The 1660 has 126 fps, in comparison to 71.1 fps for the 590, which is a significant difference. This shows that the Turing architecture is better than the Polaris overall.
For gameplay, there was little difference between the two. While the 1660 performed better when benchmarking GTAV and Fortnite, three was less than a 15% difference in the fps. The 590 performed 20% better when benchmarking CSGO, with 270 EFPS, in comparison to the 1660’s 221 EFps.
Overall the GTX 1660 did perform better, especially in regards to lighting and reflection. However, when looking at the gameplay fps, there was only a minimal difference between the two.
Ray Tracing
Ray tracing is a great addition to a GPU that allows the lighting and the graphics in-game to look and feel more realistic. It improved the graphics significantly and it is particularly great if you play a lot of AAA games.
Unfortunately in the Nvidia series, only their RTX graphics cards currently support ray tracing. Therefore the GTX 1660 does not have ray-tracing capabilities. The RX 590 does have the upper hand over the GTX 1660 here as it does support ray tracing, which is great for future-proofing and improving gameplay.
VRAM
The VRAM of a GPU should not be overlooked and your GPU needs to function correctly without slowing down. When gaming at 1080p ideally a GPU should have around 8GB of VRAM. This will allow a game to run with no issues. If you are looking to game at 4K, ideally you should have 10GB at the least.
When looking at the memory speed for each GPU, they both operate at 8 Gbps. The standard memory configuration for both is 8GB GDDR5. Given this, it makes little difference which one you choose. Though it is worth noting that GDDR5 is slightly dated given that GDDR6 is available and the GDDR7 is in the works.
Conclusion
To conclude, the GTX 1660 is the better GPU overall. When benchmarked it was better overall, it is less power-hungry, and it has a better resolution. However, the RX 590 does feature ray tracing. If this is an important specification for you then this may be the better option.
These are both great choices when you are looking to purchase a graphics card on a budget, though Nvidia does beat AMD slightly here. The GTX 1660 is slightly more expensive in comparison to the RX 590, however.