AMD Radeon R5 M240 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti and the AMD Radeon R5 M240 occupy completely different tiers of the GPU market, and the benchmark data reflects a massive gulf in performance. The only shared benchmark in the database is Geekbench OpenCL, where the NVIDIA card delivers a score of 51029 against the AMD card's 6975. That is a 631.6% advantage for the GTX 1660 Ti. While the R5 M240 is an older entry-level part, the recorded data shows no contest in raw compute performance. The GTX 1660 Ti also holds a 41st percentile ranking among all GPUs, while the R5 M240 sits at the 39th percentile, meaning the NVIDIA card is not only faster but also outranks the AMD part in the broader database.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole overlapping benchmark between these two cards is Geekbench OpenCL. In that test, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti scores 51029, while the AMD Radeon R5 M240 scores 6975. The delta is 631.6% in favor of the NVIDIA card. This is not a close race; the GTX 1660 Ti outperforms the R5 M240 by a factor of roughly 7.3 times in this compute workload. The result is expected given the architectural gap, but the magnitude is striking.

The database also records the average benchmark score for each card. The GTX 1660 Ti has an average score of 7723 across all its tested workloads, while the R5 M240 has an average score of 6975 based on its single recorded test. This confirms that the R5 M240's OpenCL result is its peak in the database, whereas the GTX 1660 Ti's average is pulled down by other tests like Passmark DirectX 12 (score of 51) and 3DMark Steel Nomad (score of 1061). Even with those lower scores, the GTX 1660 Ti's average remains above the R5 M240's only recorded number.

Looking at the GTX 1660 Ti's individual benchmarks, it shows a wide range of capabilities. It scores 12871 in Passmark G3D, 5226 in Passmark GPU Compute, and 804 in Passmark G2D. It also posts 5827 in Geekbench Vulkan. The R5 M240 has no comparable data for these tests, so we cannot make direct head-to-head comparisons beyond OpenCL. However, the available data strongly indicates that the NVIDIA card would dominate in any DirectX or Vulkan workload, given its modern architecture and far higher raw scores.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different eras and design philosophies. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti uses the TU116 chip built on a 12 nm process at TSMC, with 6,600 million transistors on a 284 mm² die. This results in a transistor density of 23.2 million per mm². The AMD Radeon R5 M240 uses the Jet chip on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC, with just 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die. Its density is 12.3 million per mm². The NVIDIA chip is nearly ten times larger in transistor count and over five times larger in die size.

The GTX 1660 Ti is based on the Turing architecture, while the R5 M240 uses GCN 1.0. This is a generational leap. The NVIDIA card has 1536 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. The AMD card has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. Those numbers translate directly to throughput: the GTX 1660 Ti delivers 5.437 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 10.87 TFLOPS of FP16 (at a 2:1 ratio), while the R5 M240 manages 659.2 GFLOPS of FP32 and has no recorded FP16 capability. Pixel rate is 84.96 GPixel/s for NVIDIA versus 8.240 GPixel/s for AMD. Texture rate is 169.9 GTexel/s versus 20.60 GTexel/s.

Memory is another major divider. The GTX 1660 Ti uses 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The R5 M240 has 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, yielding 14.40 GB/s. That is a 20-fold difference in memory bandwidth, which heavily impacts performance in modern games and compute tasks. Clock speeds also differ: the GTX 1660 Ti runs at a base of 1500 MHz and boosts to 1770 MHz, with memory at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective). The R5 M240 runs at 1000 MHz base and 1030 MHz boost, with memory at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective). The NVIDIA card also supports PCIe 3.0 x16, while the AMD card uses PCIe 3.0 x8.

Feature support is similarly lopsided. The GTX 1660 Ti supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The R5 M240 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA card has a 1x 8-pin power connector and a suggested PSU of 300 W, with a TDP of 120 W. The AMD card records no TDP, slot width, or power connector data, indicating it is a low-power mobile or OEM part. The GTX 1660 Ti is a dual-slot card with display outputs (1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4a), while the R5 M240 lists no display outputs.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the recorded data, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is the clear winner for anyone needing real graphics performance. It beats the AMD Radeon R5 M240 by 631.6% in OpenCL compute, and its architecture is vastly more capable across every metric: shading units, texture rate, pixel rate, memory bandwidth, and API support. The GTX 1660 Ti sits at the 41st percentile of all GPUs, while the R5 M240 sits at the 39th percentile, but the gap in absolute scores is enormous.

The R5 M240 appears to be a legacy or entry-level part, likely intended for basic display output rather than gaming or compute. Its only advantage is its smaller die size (56 mm² vs 284 mm²) and lower transistor count, which likely correlates with lower power draw, though the database does not record a TDP for the AMD card. If the goal is to run modern games or GPU-accelerated workloads, the GTX 1660 Ti is the only viable option here. If the goal is a low-power secondary display adapter, the R5 M240 might suffice, but it will not handle demanding tasks.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the GTX 1660 Ti than the R5 M240 in OpenCL?

A: The GTX 1660 Ti scores 51029 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the R5 M240 scores 6975. That is a 631.6% advantage for the NVIDIA card.

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 1660 Ti has 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth from 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. The R5 M240 has 14.40 GB/s from 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus.

Q: Does the R5 M240 support modern graphics APIs?

A: It supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 1660 Ti supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What is the transistor count difference?

A: The GTX 1660 Ti has 6,600 million transistors on a 284 mm² die. The R5 M240 has 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die.

Q: Which card ranks higher among all GPUs?

A: The GTX 1660 Ti is in the 41st percentile, while the R5 M240 is in the 39th percentile. The NVIDIA card also has a higher average benchmark score of 7723 versus 6975.

Q: Does the GTX 1660 Ti have any FP16 capability?

A: Yes, it records 10.87 TFLOPS of FP16 at a 2:1 ratio. The R5 M240 has no recorded FP16 data.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti wins every measurable category in the database. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark (Geekbench OpenCL) by 631.6%. It has higher shading unit count (1536 vs 320), more TMUs (96 vs 20), more ROPs (48 vs 8), and vastly higher fill rates. Its FP32 compute is 5.437 TFLOPS versus 659.2 GFLOPS. Its memory subsystem is superior in size, type, bus width, and bandwidth. It supports newer DirectX and Vulkan versions. It also has a higher average benchmark score (7723 vs 6975) and a better percentile ranking (41st vs 39th).

The AMD Radeon R5 M240 does not win any recorded benchmark or specification comparison. Its only potential advantages are physical: a smaller die (56 mm² vs 284 mm²) and fewer transistors (690 million vs 6,600 million), which historically implies lower power consumption and heat output, though the database does not record a TDP for the AMD card. For workloads that require minimal compute and maximum energy efficiency, the R5 M240 may be a lighter option, but the data does not support any performance win.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every recorded specification. The GTX 1660 Ti uses a 12 nm process, while the R5 M240 uses 28 nm. The NVIDIA chip has 6,600 million transistors versus 690 million for AMD. Die size is 284 mm² versus 56 mm². Clock speeds are higher on the NVIDIA card: 1500 MHz base and 1770 MHz boost versus 1000 MHz base and 1030 MHz boost. Memory is 6 GB GDDR6 at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective) versus 1024 MB DDR3 at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective). Bus width is 192 bit versus 64 bit. Bandwidth is 288.0 GB/s versus 14.40 GB/s.

The GTX 1660 Ti has 1536 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The R5 M240 has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. Pixel rate is 84.96 GPixel/s versus 8.240 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 169.9 GTexel/s versus 20.60 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 5.437 TFLOPS versus 659.2 GFLOPS. The NVIDIA card also has FP16 at 10.87 TFLOPS, while the AMD card has none recorded. The GTX 1660 Ti has a TDP of 120 W, a dual-slot design, a 1x 8-pin power connector, and a 300 W suggested PSU. The R5 M240 has no TDP, slot width, power connector, or PSU data.

The bus interface differs: PCIe 3.0 x16 for NVIDIA versus PCIe 3.0 x8 for AMD. Display outputs are present on the GTX 1660 Ti (1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4a) but not listed for the R5 M240. API support is higher on the NVIDIA card for DirectX (12_1 vs 11_1) and Vulkan (1.4 vs 1.2.170), while both support OpenGL 4.6. The GTX 1660 Ti measures 229 mm by 111 mm by 35 mm, while the R5 M240 has no recorded dimensions. The NVIDIA card was released on 2019-02-21, while the AMD card came out on 2014-09-17. The GTX 1660 Ti has a launch MSRP of 279 USD, while the R5 M240 has no recorded launch MSRP.