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 570

2010

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 3 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
52.4% HIGHER MSRP
$349 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 11.3 vs 17.6 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
❌56.4% higher power demand at 219W vs 140W.

GeForce GTX 660

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $120 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅Delivers 56.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 17.6 vs 11.3 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅20% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (3 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Draws 140W instead of 219W, a 79W reduction.
✅Measures 241mm instead of 267mm, a 26mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

GeForce GTX 570

2010

GeForce GTX 660

2012

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅Costs $120 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅Delivers 56.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 17.6 vs 11.3 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅20% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (3 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Draws 140W instead of 219W, a 79W reduction.
✅Measures 241mm instead of 267mm, a 26mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 3 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
52.4% HIGHER MSRP
$349 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 11.3 vs 17.6 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
❌56.4% higher power demand at 219W vs 140W.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 660 better than GeForce GTX 570?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 3,930 vs 4,040 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 660 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, no meaningful modern upscaling stack, plus much lower power draw (140W vs 219W).

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

GeForce GTX 570 is the safer long-term GPU choice because it gives you the stronger overall hardware and feature outlook for modern games.

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

GeForce GTX 660 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $229 MSRP. GeForce GTX 660 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce GTX 660 is about $120 cheaper on MSRP at $229 MSRP versus $349 MSRP, and you are getting 2.8% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 570 is the more forward-looking alternative, so it still has a real case if you care more about future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does GeForce GTX 570 make more sense than GeForce GTX 660?

Yes. GeForce GTX 570 is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is future-proofing and staying closer to $349 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 660. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 660 currently gives you 2.8% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 56.7%.

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 570 Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 660 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 570	GeForce GTX 660
1080p
low	80 FPS	31 FPS
medium	65 FPS	20 FPS
high	51 FPS	14 FPS
ultra	33 FPS	7 FPS
1440p
low	67 FPS	24 FPS
medium	55 FPS	14 FPS
high	39 FPS	7 FPS
ultra	25 FPS	4 FPS
4K
low	24 FPS	9 FPS
medium	22 FPS	6 FPS
high	14 FPS	4 FPS
ultra	13 FPS	3 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 570 Open GeForce GTX 660

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 570	GeForce GTX 660
1080p
low	88 FPS	37 FPS
medium	64 FPS	17 FPS
high	52 FPS	13 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	9 FPS
1440p
low	53 FPS	19 FPS
medium	36 FPS	9 FPS
high	25 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	19 FPS	5 FPS
4K
low	24 FPS	6 FPS
medium	16 FPS	3 FPS
high	12 FPS	3 FPS
ultra	9 FPS	2 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 570 Open GeForce GTX 660

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 570	GeForce GTX 660
1080p
low	177 FPS	182 FPS
medium	141 FPS	145 FPS
high	118 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	91 FPS
1440p
low	133 FPS	136 FPS
medium	106 FPS	109 FPS
high	88 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	66 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	88 FPS	91 FPS
medium	71 FPS	73 FPS
high	59 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	45 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 570 Open GeForce GTX 660

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 570	GeForce GTX 660
1080p
low	157 FPS	107 FPS
medium	116 FPS	85 FPS
high	100 FPS	66 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	50 FPS
1440p
low	118 FPS	61 FPS
medium	89 FPS	48 FPS
high	76 FPS	41 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	29 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	33 FPS
medium	50 FPS	25 FPS
high	39 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 570 Open GeForce GTX 660

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 570 and GeForce GTX 660

GeForce GTX 570

The GeForce GTX 570 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 7 2010. It features the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 732 MHz. It has 480 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 219W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,930 points. Launch price was $349.

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.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 570 scores 3,930 and the GeForce GTX 660 reaches 4,040 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 570 is built on Fermi 2.0 while the GeForce GTX 660 uses Kepler, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 480 (GeForce GTX 570) vs 960 (GeForce GTX 660). Raw compute: 1.405 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 570) vs 1.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 660).

Feature	GeForce GTX 570	GeForce GTX 660
G3D Mark Score	3,930	4,040+3%
Architecture	Fermi 2.0	Kepler
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	480	960+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.405 TFLOPS	1.981 TFLOPS+41%
ROPs	40+67%	24
TMUs	60	80+33%
L1 Cache	960 KB+1100%	80 KB
L2 Cache	640 KB+67%	384 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 570	GeForce GTX 660
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 570 comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 660 has 3 GB. The GeForce GTX 660 offers 20% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 152 GB/s (GeForce GTX 570) vs 144.2 GB/s (GeForce GTX 660) — a 5.4% advantage for the GeForce GTX 570. Bus width: 320-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 640 KB (GeForce GTX 570) vs 384 KB (GeForce GTX 660) — the GeForce GTX 570 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 570	GeForce GTX 660
VRAM Capacity	2.5 GB	3 GB+20%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	152 GB/s+5%	144.2 GB/s
Bus Width	320-bit+67%	192-bit
L2 Cache	640 KB+67%	384 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11_0 (GeForce GTX 570) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 660). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 570	GeForce GTX 660
DirectX	11_0	12+9%
Max Displays	2	4+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD (GeForce GTX 570) vs NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 660). Decoder: PureVideo HD vs NVDEC 1st Gen.

Feature	GeForce GTX 570	GeForce GTX 660
Encoder	PureVideo HD	NVENC 1st Gen
Decoder	PureVideo HD	NVDEC 1st Gen
Codecs	—	H.264

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 570 draws 219W versus the GeForce GTX 660's 140W — a 44% difference. The GeForce GTX 660 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 570) vs 450W (GeForce GTX 660). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 570	GeForce GTX 660
TDP	219W	140W-36%
Recommended PSU	550W	450W-18%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	267mm	241mm
Slots	2	2
Perf/Watt	17.9	28.9+61%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 570 launched at $349 MSRP, while the GeForce GTX 660 launched at $229. The GeForce GTX 660 costs 34.4% less ($120 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 11.3 (GeForce GTX 570) vs 17.6 (GeForce GTX 660) — the GeForce GTX 660 offers 55.8% better value. The GeForce GTX 660 is the newer GPU (2012 vs 2010).