NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Comparison

The Verdict

The database comparison between the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER shows two cards separated by a narrow overall margin, but with distinct strengths. The RTX 3050 OEM wins 5 of the 9 head-to-head tests, while the GTX 1660 SUPER wins 4. The average benchmark score favors the RTX 3050 OEM at 15199 versus 12986, a difference of roughly 17%. The RTX 3050 OEM also sits at the 57th percentile of all GPUs, four points above the GTX 1660 SUPER at the 53rd percentile.

The RTX 3050 OEM is the pick for users prioritizing modern API support, compute workloads, and DirectX 12 performance. It offers hardware ray tracing cores and tensor cores, features entirely absent from the GTX 1660 SUPER, and its compute score leads by 13.8%. The GTX 1660 SUPER, however, retains an edge in several legacy DirectX tests and in raw rasterization throughput, making it the better choice for older titles and for users who favor higher frame rates in conventional rendering. The GTX 1660 SUPER also has a launch MSRP of 229 USD, a figure recorded in the database for that card.

For a user deciding strictly from the recorded data, the RTX 3050 OEM is the more future-proof option due to its DirectX 12 Ultimate support and ray tracing hardware. The GTX 1660 SUPER is the more consistent performer in DirectX 9, 10, and 11 workloads, where it leads by 27.5%, 6.2%, and 17.3% respectively. The choice hinges on whether the user prioritizes modern feature sets or legacy compatibility.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3050 OEM dominates in compute and modern graphics APIs. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 60740 beats the GTX 1660 SUPER's 52490 by 15.7%. In Passmark GPU Compute, it scores 5779 versus 5076, a 13.8% advantage. The DirectX 12 test shows a 16% lead for the RTX 3050 OEM, scoring 58 against 50. The Vulkan scores are effectively tied, with the RTX 3050 OEM at 57103 and the GTX 1660 SUPER at 57102, a 0% delta. The 2D test also favors the RTX 3050 OEM, scoring 973 versus 805, a 20.9% lead.

The GTX 1660 SUPER wins in legacy DirectX tests and in the overall 3D graphics score. Its DirectX 9 score of 189 beats the RTX 3050 OEM's 137 by 27.5%. DirectX 11 shows a 104 to 86 win, a 17.3% margin. DirectX 10 goes to the GTX 1660 SUPER at 65 versus 61, a 6.2% edge. The Passmark G3D score, which aggregates overall graphics performance, favors the GTX 1660 SUPER at 12699 versus 11857, a 6.6% difference.

The use-case split is clear. For gaming in modern titles that leverage DirectX 12 or Vulkan, the RTX 3050 OEM holds the advantage, and its ray tracing cores add a capability the GTX 1660 SUPER cannot match. For users running older software built on DirectX 9 through 11, the GTX 1660 SUPER delivers better results. Compute-heavy tasks, such as OpenCL workloads, clearly favor the RTX 3050 OEM.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different architectural generations. The RTX 3050 OEM uses the GA106 chip on the Ampere architecture, built on an 8 nm process at Samsung. The GTX 1660 SUPER uses the TU116 chip on the Turing architecture, built on a 12 nm process at TSMC. The RTX 3050 OEM packs 12,000 million transistors on a 276 mm² die, giving a density of 43.5 million transistors per mm². The GTX 1660 SUPER has 6,600 million transistors on a larger 284 mm² die, with a density of 23.2 million per mm².

The RTX 3050 OEM has 2304 shading units, 72 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. It also includes 18 ray tracing cores and 72 tensor cores, marking the first major feature divergence between the two. The GTX 1660 SUPER has 1408 shading units, 88 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, with no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The GTX 1660 SUPER compensates with higher texture and pixel rates: 157.1 GTexel/s and 85.68 GPixel/s versus 126.4 GTexel/s and 56.16 GPixel/s for the RTX 3050 OEM.

FP32 throughput favors the RTX 3050 OEM at 8.087 TFLOPS versus 5.027 TFLOPS for the GTX 1660 SUPER. FP16 differs in ratio: the RTX 3050 OEM runs FP16 at 8.087 TFLOPS in a 1:1 ratio, while the GTX 1660 SUPER reaches 10.05 TFLOPS in a 2:1 ratio. Memory configurations also differ. The RTX 3050 OEM has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 1660 SUPER has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 336.0 GB/s bandwidth, a 50% higher bandwidth figure.

The RTX 3050 OEM supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the GTX 1660 SUPER supports DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX 3050 OEM uses PCIe 4.0 x8, the GTX 1660 SUPER uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs differ: the RTX 3050 OEM has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the GTX 1660 SUPER has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a. Power draw is similar at 130 W for the RTX 3050 OEM and 125 W for the GTX 1660 SUPER, with both using a single 8-pin connector and a 300 W suggested PSU.

FAQ

Q: Which card has better compute performance?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM. Its Geekbench OpenCL score is 60740 versus 52490 for the GTX 1660 SUPER, a 15.7% advantage. Passmark GPU Compute also favors the RTX 3050 OEM at 5779 versus 5076, a 13.8% lead.

Q: Does the GTX 1660 SUPER win any major tests?

A: Yes. It wins Passmark G3D with 12699 versus 11857, a 6.6% margin. It also leads in DirectX 9 (189 vs 137), DirectX 10 (65 vs 61), and DirectX 11 (104 vs 86).

Q: Which card supports ray tracing?

A: Only the RTX 3050 OEM. It includes 18 ray tracing cores and 72 tensor cores. The GTX 1660 SUPER has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores.

Q: How do the memory specs compare?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 1660 SUPER has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 336.0 GB/s bandwidth, which is higher.

Q: What is the DirectX support difference?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the GTX 1660 SUPER supports DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM, with an average score of 15199 compared to 12986 for the GTX 1660 SUPER. The RTX 3050 OEM also holds the 57th percentile versus the 53rd percentile for the GTX 1660 SUPER.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single margin in either direction belongs to the GTX 1660 SUPER in DirectX 9, where it scores 189 against 137, a 27.5% lead. This is the clearest legacy advantage in the dataset. The second-largest margin is the RTX 3050 OEM's 20.9% win in Passmark 2D, scoring 973 versus 805. The DirectX 11 test shows a 17.3% win for the GTX 1660 SUPER, with 104 against 86. The DirectX 12 test gives the RTX 3050 OEM a 16% win, scoring 58 versus 50.

Geekbench OpenCL is the biggest compute margin for the RTX 3050 OEM at 15.7%, with scores of 60740 and 52490. Passmark GPU Compute follows at 13.8%, with 5779 versus 5076. The Passmark G3D test, often used as a general gaming indicator, favors the GTX 1660 SUPER by 6.6%, scoring 12699 against 11857. DirectX 10 shows a smaller margin for the GTX 1660 SUPER at 6.2%, with 65 versus 61. The Vulkan test is a virtual tie: 57103 for the RTX 3050 OEM and 57102 for the GTX 1660 SUPER, a 0% delta.

The aggregate result is a split decision. The RTX 3050 OEM wins the modern API tests, compute benchmarks, and the 2D test. The GTX 1660 SUPER wins the legacy DirectX tests and the overall 3D score. The RTX 3050 OEM's wins include the two largest compute margins and the DirectX 12 lead, while the GTX 1660 SUPER's wins are concentrated in older APIs. The overall average benchmark score, however, clearly favors the RTX 3050 OEM by roughly 17%, which suggests that the modern workload weighting in the database aligns with the RTX 3050 OEM's strengths.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every core specification. The RTX 3050 OEM uses the GA106 chip on Ampere architecture at 8 nm, while the GTX 1660 SUPER uses the TU116 chip on Turing architecture at 12 nm. Transistor count is 12,000 million versus 6,600 million. Die size is 276 mm² versus 284 mm². Transistor density is 43.5M per mm² versus 23.2M per mm².

Shading units differ at 2304 versus 1408. TMUs are 72 versus 88. ROPs are 32 versus 48. The RTX 3050 OEM has 18 ray tracing cores and 72 tensor cores; the GTX 1660 SUPER has none. FP32 throughput is 8.087 TFLOPS versus 5.027 TFLOPS. FP16 is 8.087 TFLOPS (1:1) versus 10.05 TFLOPS (2:1). Pixel rate is 56.16 GPixel/s versus 85.68 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 126.4 GTexel/s versus 157.1 GTexel/s.

Memory size is 8 GB versus 6 GB. Bus width is 128 bit versus 192 bit. Bandwidth is 224.0 GB/s versus 336.0 GB/s. Both use GDDR6 and 14 Gbps effective memory clock. TDP is 130 W versus 125 W. Bus interface is PCIe 4.0 x8 versus PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs are 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a versus 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a. DirectX support is 12 Ultimate (12_2) versus 12 (12_1). Both cards are dual-slot, use a single 8-pin power connector, and have a 300 W suggested PSU. The RTX 3050 OEM is 242 mm long and 112 mm high; the GTX 1660 SUPER is 229 mm long, 111 mm high, and 35 mm wide.