The GeForce GTX 1660 and 1660 Ti models launched back in 2019 as Nvidia‘s new mainstream 1080p gaming champions. Powered by the efficient Turing architecture, they delivered smooth 60+ FPS gameplay at high-max settings while saving buyers money.
Initially, reviews glowed about the GTX 1660‘s balance of performance and value. But gradually over the last three years, enthusiasm has waned as issues surfaced for gamers.
What changed? Let‘s examine the four most common pain points reported by users that stemmed the initial tide of praise. Understanding the limitations of the GTX 1660 cards today can help guide your next GPU purchase.
Gaming Evolved Rapidly Since 2019
Before diving into the specific complaints, it‘s worth recapping how games have advanced significantly in three years:
- More Cores, More FPS: Modern titles better utilize multi-core CPUs and GPUs parallel processing capabilities for superior framerates
- Higher Resolutions: 1440p and 4K gaming adoption has exploded. Gamers expect sharper, more detailed visuals.
- More VRAM: Texture quality, effects, draw distances keep improving. 6GB cards now run into limitations.
- Ray Tracing: Lighting and reflections became more photorealistic thanks to RTX acceleration.
The GTX 1660 enjoyed praised on launch for smoothly running the top 2019 games at 1920 x 1080. But today‘s titles punish aging hardware more brutally. Now, let‘s examine the four chief complaints reported.
1. Compatibility Headaches Are Common
Ever updated your graphics card driver, loaded your favorite game, and just faced problems? Welcome to the club – GTX 1660 owners report wide-ranging compatibility issues, especially after GPU driver updates.
For example, Steam user DutchR0ck writes:
"I just updated to the latest Nvidia drivers and now I can‘t get more than 30 FPS in any game…changing in-game settings does nothing, even on lower resolutions."
Others mention missing setup boxes, options not applying correctly, and error codes preventing game launches.
These compatibility issues likely stem from:
- Codebases growing extremely complex across PC hardware and software stacks
- Architectural differences between Turing and newer Ampere/Ada Lovelace GPUs
- Lack of testing on older cards by developers
While frustration, clean installing the latest drivers often resolves the problems. If not, rolling back to a 2020-2021 driver release may help while we hope for updated compatibility.
2. Crashes Still Plague Some Setups
Another commonly echoed grievance is games randomly crashing on the GTX 1660 – despite tweaking configurations, updating Windows and drivers, or even swapping hardware.
| Potential Cause | Troubleshooting Tips |
|---|---|
| Faulty Drivers | Use DDU to completely remove drivers; reinstall fresh |
| Insufficient/unstable power | Test PSU voltages; upgrade wattage if needed |
| Overheating | Improve case cooling, adjust fan curves |
| Outdated DirectX runtimes | Install latest DirectX end-user runtimes |
The titles most frequently reported crashing include Elden Ring, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty. While irritating, methodically testing different components often identifies the failure point.
3. Don’t Expect Smooth Sailing Streaming Video
Gamers use their GPUs for more than just fragging – many watch Twitch streams and gaming content in their downtime. Alarmingly, the GTX 1660 seems to trip up here as well.
Trying to watch YouTube or Netflix, everything appears fine…until the video playback turns into a stuttering, tearing mess when scrolling through comments or titles.
What gives?
Modern codecs like H.264/H.265 require serious graphical horsepower under the hood for smooth playback, especially at 4K and 8K resolutions. And time has revealed the GTX 1660‘s video processing capabilities lackluster.
With only 6 GB VRAM, the GTX 1660 strains even playing back 4K content smoothly…let alone future 8K videos. Gamers accustomed to watching streams, videos and enjoying media will want a more capable card.
4. It Can‘t Keep Pace with Future Demands
Finally, the most existential concern facing GTX 1660 owners – its overall lack of future-proofing compared to pricier cards.
The risk of buying a mid-range card is that gaming innovation leaves it in the dust quickly. Looking at the Steam hardware survey, 8 GB+ VRAM cards dominate for gamers. Modern AAA titles already suggest 8 GB minimum; 16 GB recommended.
Here‘s a rough estimate of where VRAM usage targets are headed in the next 5+ years:
| Year | Target VRAM |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 8-12 GB |
| 2025 | 12-14 GB |
| 2030 | 16-24 GB |
The GTX 1660 sits firmly at the low-end of present requirements, much less for the visual marvels coming down the pipeline.
While still capable today, its value diminishes each passing month compared to faster, more future-ready options. Let‘s examine some solid alternatives.
Here some of my top recommended upgrades if the complaints above have you concerned about keeping your GTX 1660:
| GPU | Price | Key Specs | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti | $399 | 8GB GDDR6 VRAM, 4864 CUDA cores, 1650 MHz Boost | +45% FPS @ 1440p |
| AMD RX 6700 XT | $469 | 12GB GDDR6 VRAM, 2560 cores, 2424 MHz Boost | +82% FPS @ 1440p |
| Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti | $599 | 8 GB GDDR6X VRAM, 6144 cores, 1770 MHz Boost | +93% FPS @ 1440p |
I selected these three cards as they present outstanding improvements in both raw performance, visual fidelity, and future-proofing while fitting into different budgets.
The RTX 3000 series and RX 6000 cards match or beat the GTX 1660‘s 1080p prowess while enabling smooth 60+ FPS 1440p gaming. More VRAM, upgraded memory, and advanced architectural optimizations help them better handle tomorrow‘s games.
For creators, the extra VRAM aids video editing and 3D modeling. And they boast dedicated ray tracing hardware enabling more immersive, photorealistic lighting effects.
If you‘ve felt the GTX 1660 faltering lately, consider saving up for one of these stellar upgrades!
The GTX 1660 cards retain a niche as competent 1080p gaming cards three years after launch. However, rapidly evolving game technical demands paired with issues like crashes and compatibility headaches have tarnished their once sterling value proposition.
I hope examining the four chief complaints helps set appropriate expectations if you currently own a GTX 1660. And comparing some superior mid-range alternatives illustrates what major advancements extra budget can buy you today.
Let me know what questions remain in the comments section! I‘m happy to offer my insight as an avid gamer and hardware analyst to help guide your next upgrade.
