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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($279 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 170W, a 50W reduction.
✅Measures 229mm instead of 242mm, a 13mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (12,747 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 3060 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 45.7 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅+33.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 13.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 45.7 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌41.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 120W.

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti

2019

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($279 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 170W, a 50W reduction.
✅Measures 229mm instead of 242mm, a 13mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅+33.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 13.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 45.7 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (12,747 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 3060 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 45.7 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌41.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 120W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than GeForce GTX 1660 Ti?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 33.3% higher PassMark G3D performance, DLSS 2 Super Resolution, and 12 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM. It also comes from 2021 instead of 2019, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2019, 33.3% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 6 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 3060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 is about 17.9% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $279 MSRP, and you are getting 33.3% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 13.1%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce GTX 1660 Ti still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $279 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3060 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1660 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	98 FPS	149 FPS
medium	88 FPS	131 FPS
high	76 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	63 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	90 FPS	126 FPS
medium	77 FPS	104 FPS
high	66 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	54 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	45 FPS	67 FPS
medium	41 FPS	58 FPS
high	30 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1660 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	269 FPS	354 FPS
medium	227 FPS	310 FPS
high	170 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	183 FPS	222 FPS
medium	156 FPS	196 FPS
high	124 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	106 FPS	110 FPS
medium	89 FPS	94 FPS
high	72 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	60 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1660 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	574 FPS	765 FPS
medium	459 FPS	612 FPS
high	382 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	287 FPS	382 FPS
1440p
low	430 FPS	535 FPS
medium	344 FPS	432 FPS
high	287 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	215 FPS	287 FPS
4K
low	287 FPS	367 FPS
medium	229 FPS	298 FPS
high	191 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	176 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1660 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	401 FPS	523 FPS
medium	326 FPS	452 FPS
high	263 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	330 FPS	428 FPS
medium	268 FPS	371 FPS
high	206 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	164 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	158 FPS	279 FPS
medium	119 FPS	259 FPS
high	107 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	85 FPS	186 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1660 Ti and GeForce RTX 3060

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti

The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 22 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1770 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,747 points. Launch price was $279.

GeForce RTX 3060

The GeForce RTX 3060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,995 points. Launch price was $329.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti scores 12,747 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 33.3%. The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 5.437 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1770 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	12,747	16,995+33%
Architecture	Turing	Ampere
Process Node	12 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1536	3584+133%
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.437 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+134%
Boost Clock	1770 MHz	1777 MHz
ROPs	48	48
TMUs	96	112+17%
L1 Cache	1.5 MB	3.5 MB+133%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	3 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 25% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	12 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s	360 GB/s+25%
Bus Width	192-bit	192-bit
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	3 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	12	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.4+8%	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: NVDEC 4th gen vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	NVENC 7th gen	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	NVDEC 4th gen	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti draws 120W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 34.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	120W-29%	170W
Recommended PSU	450W-18%	550W
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	229mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C	75
Perf/Watt	106.2+6%	100.0

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti launched at $279 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti costs 15.2% less ($50 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 45.7 (GeForce GTX 1660 Ti) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 13.1% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2019).