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

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $110 less on MSRP ($219 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 average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 6 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅49.6% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅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

❌
50.2% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$219 MSRP
❌41.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 120W.

GeForce GTX 1660

2019

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $110 less on MSRP ($219 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

✅49.6% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅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 average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 6 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

Trade-offs

❌
50.2% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$219 MSRP
❌41.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 120W.

Quick Answers

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

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 averages 49.6% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 11,639 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 1660 is a 2019 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

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, 46.0% 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 about 50.2% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $219 MSRP, and you are getting 49.6% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 46.0% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1660 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium. If you are comfortable paying the premium for the stronger gaming result, GeForce RTX 3060 is the one to buy. If staying closer to budget matters more, GeForce GTX 1660 still makes more sense on price alone, but the performance trade-off is much harder to justify by current standards.

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

Yes. GeForce GTX 1660 is still a strong gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. This mostly comes down to price. If you want to stay closer to $219 MSRP, it remains a strong choice; if you are comfortable paying more, GeForce RTX 3060 earns that extra money with a clearly stronger gaming result and a more complete overall package.

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 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1660	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	101 FPS	149 FPS
medium	89 FPS	131 FPS
high	78 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	64 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	91 FPS	126 FPS
medium	78 FPS	104 FPS
high	67 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	47 FPS	67 FPS
medium	44 FPS	58 FPS
high	33 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1660 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1660	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	197 FPS	354 FPS
medium	168 FPS	310 FPS
high	138 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	130 FPS	222 FPS
medium	105 FPS	196 FPS
high	86 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	64 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	60 FPS	110 FPS
medium	50 FPS	94 FPS
high	48 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	60 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1660 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1660	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	524 FPS	765 FPS
medium	419 FPS	612 FPS
high	346 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	262 FPS	382 FPS
1440p
low	393 FPS	535 FPS
medium	314 FPS	432 FPS
high	262 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	287 FPS
4K
low	262 FPS	367 FPS
medium	210 FPS	298 FPS
high	164 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	124 FPS	176 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1660 Open GeForce RTX 3060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1660	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	364 FPS	523 FPS
medium	301 FPS	452 FPS
high	251 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	216 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	296 FPS	428 FPS
medium	243 FPS	371 FPS
high	192 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	150 FPS	279 FPS
medium	113 FPS	259 FPS
high	102 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	186 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1660 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 1660

The GeForce GTX 1660 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 14 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1530 MHz to 1785 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,639 points. Launch price was $219.

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 scores 11,639 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 46%. The GeForce GTX 1660 is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,408 (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 5.027 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1785 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	11,639	16,995+46%
Architecture	Turing	Ampere
Process Node	12 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1408	3584+155%
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.027 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+153%
Boost Clock	1785 MHz	1777 MHz
ROPs	48	48
TMUs	88	112+27%
L1 Cache	1.4 MB	3.5 MB+150%
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 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660	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 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: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 87.5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	12 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	360 GB/s+88%
Bus Width	192-bit	192-bit
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	3 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 7th Gen NVENC (GeForce GTX 1660) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1660) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1660	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	7th Gen NVENC	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	5th Gen NVDEC	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1660 draws 120W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 34.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1660 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce GTX 1660) 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	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	97.0	100.0+3%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1660 launched at $219 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. The GeForce GTX 1660 costs 33.4% less ($110 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 53.1 (GeForce GTX 1660) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce GTX 1660 offers 2.7% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2019).