NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile Comparison

The benchmark data records a clear split between these two NVIDIA mobile GPUs. The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti wins the majority of head-to-head tests, taking 6 out of 8 comparisons, while the GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile secures only 2 wins. However, the RTX 3050 A Mobile’s victories come in tests that matter for modern workloads, specifically DirectX 12 and OpenCL. The GTX 1660 Ti, despite being an older architecture, dominates in legacy DirectX tests, 2D performance, and raw compute throughput. The overall average benchmark scores tell a similar story, with the RTX 3050 A Mobile averaging 8746 points versus 7723 points for the GTX 1660 Ti, a difference that is not reflected in the head-to-head wins because the GTX 1660 Ti has additional benchmark entries that pull its average down.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most significant win for the RTX 3050 A Mobile is in the Geekbench OpenCL test, where it scores 52998 against 51029 for the GTX 1660 Ti, a 3.9% advantage. This indicates a modest lead in general-purpose compute workloads that leverage OpenCL. The RTX 3050 A Mobile also wins the Passmark DirectX 12 test with a score of 55 versus 51, a 7.8% margin. This is a notable result because DirectX 12 is the foundation of modern game engines, suggesting the newer architecture handles contemporary API overhead more efficiently.

The GTX 1660 Ti, on the other hand, posts decisive wins across several legacy and 2D tests. In Passmark DirectX 9, it scores 190 versus 152, a 20% lead. The 2D graphics test shows the largest gap, with the GTX 1660 Ti scoring 804 versus 526, a 34.6% advantage. The GTX 1660 Ti also leads in Passmark DirectX 10 (66 versus 61, a 7.6% margin) and DirectX 11 (103 versus 94, an 8.7% margin). In the overall Passmark G3D test, the GTX 1660 Ti scores 12871 versus 11664, a 9.4% advantage, indicating superior rasterization performance in a general 3D workload. The GPU compute test also favors the GTX 1660 Ti, with 5226 versus 4419, a 15.4% lead.

Interpreting these results, the RTX 3050 A Mobile’s wins in OpenCL and DirectX 12 point to architectural efficiency with newer instruction sets and compute APIs. The GTX 1660 Ti’s sweep of the older DirectX tests and its large 2D lead suggest it has higher raw fill rates and clock speeds that benefit legacy rendering paths. The 34.6% delta in the 2D test is particularly striking, as it indicates the GTX 1660 Ti has substantially stronger texture and pixel throughput for desktop-style operations.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different NVIDIA families. The RTX 3050 A Mobile uses the GA106 chip on the Ampere architecture, fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung. The GTX 1660 Ti uses the TU116 chip on the Turing architecture, fabricated on a 12 nm process at TSMC. The process node difference is substantial, with Ampere using a denser manufacturing process that packs 12,000 million transistors into a 276 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 43.5 million per mm². The Turing chip has 6,600 million transistors on a 284 mm² die, for a density of 23.2 million per mm². This means the RTX 3050 A Mobile has nearly double the transistor density, but the GTX 1660 Ti has a slightly larger physical die.

The shading units differ in count, with the RTX 3050 A Mobile featuring 1792 shading units against 1536 on the GTX 1660 Ti. However, the GTX 1660 Ti has more texture mapping units (96 versus 56) and more render output units (48 versus 32). This explains the GTX 1660 Ti’s higher texture rate of 169.9 GTexel/s versus 75.21 GTexel/s, and its pixel rate of 84.96 GPixel/s versus 42.98 GPixel/s. The RTX 3050 A Mobile counters with dedicated ray tracing cores (14) and tensor cores (56), features entirely absent from the GTX 1660 Ti, which has none of either. This makes the RTX 3050 A Mobile capable of hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI-based tensor operations, while the GTX 1660 Ti lacks both.

Memory configurations also diverge. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 1660 Ti has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s. The GTX 1660 Ti’s higher bandwidth and larger capacity give it a clear advantage in memory-intensive scenarios. Clock speeds favor the GTX 1660 Ti as well, with a base of 1500 MHz and boost of 1770 MHz, versus 1065 MHz base and 1343 MHz boost on the RTX 3050 A Mobile. Despite lower clocks, the RTX 3050 A Mobile achieves a higher FP32 throughput of 4.813 TFLOPS compared to 5.437 TFLOPS on the GTX 1660 Ti, though the gap is modest. The FP16 rates differ sharply: the RTX 3050 A Mobile maintains a 1:1 ratio at 4.813 TFLOPS, while the GTX 1660 Ti doubles to 10.87 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 3050 A Mobile has a higher average benchmark score of 8746, compared to 7723 for the GTX 1660 Ti. This places the RTX 3050 A Mobile in the 44th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 1660 Ti sits in the 41st percentile.

Q: Does the RTX 3050 A Mobile support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RTX 3050 A Mobile includes 14 ray tracing cores as part of its Ampere architecture, which supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2). The GTX 1660 Ti has no ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 (12_1) only.

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 1660 Ti has more memory bandwidth at 288.0 GB/s, thanks to a 192-bit bus and 6 GB of GDDR6. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has 192.0 GB/s from a 128-bit bus and 4 GB of GDDR6.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The RTX 3050 A Mobile has a TDP of 45 W, while the GTX 1660 Ti has a TDP of 120 W. The GTX 1660 Ti requires a 1x 8-pin power connector and a suggested 300 W PSU, whereas the RTX 3050 A Mobile has no power connectors and is an integrated graphics package (IGP).

Q: Which GPU performs better in DirectX 12?

A: The RTX 3050 A Mobile wins the Passmark DirectX 12 test with a score of 55, compared to 51 for the GTX 1660 Ti, a 7.8% margin. This aligns with its DirectX 12 Ultimate support.

Q: What are the release dates for these GPUs?

A: The GTX 1660 Ti was released in February 2019 with a launch MSRP of 279 USD. The RTX 3050 A Mobile was released at the end of December 2023. Both are end-of-life products.

Specification Differences

| Specification | RTX 3050 A Mobile | GTX 1660 Ti |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | Ampere | Turing |

| Process Node | 8 nm | 12 nm |

| Transistors | 12,000 million | 6,600 million |

| Die Size | 276 mm² | 284 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 43.5M / mm² | 23.2M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1065 MHz | 1500 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1343 MHz | 1770 MHz |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 6 GB |

| Memory Bus | 128 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 192.0 GB/s | 288.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1792 | 1536 |

| TMUs | 56 | 96 |

| ROPs | 32 | 48 |

| RT Cores | 14 | None |

| Tensor Cores | 56 | None |

| Pixel Rate | 42.98 GPixel/s | 84.96 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 75.21 GTexel/s | 169.9 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 4.813 TFLOPS | 5.437 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 4.813 TFLOPS (1:1) | 10.87 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 45 W | 120 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | None | 300 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| DirectX Support | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (12_1) |

The Verdict

The data supports a clear verdict for different use cases. The GTX 1660 Ti is the stronger choice for raw rasterization performance in legacy and standard 3D workloads, as evidenced by its wins in DirectX 9, 10, 11, and the overall G3D test. Its higher clocks, more TMUs and ROPs, and substantially higher bandwidth (288.0 GB/s versus 192.0 GB/s) make it better suited for high-resolution texture work and traditional game rendering. The 34.6% lead in the 2D test also suggests it handles desktop compositing and older interfaces more fluidly.

The RTX 3050 A Mobile is the more modern and efficient option, with its 45 W TDP versus 120 W for the GTX 1660 Ti. Its wins in DirectX 12 and OpenCL indicate it is better optimized for current API standards and compute-heavy applications. The inclusion of ray tracing cores and tensor cores means it supports features the GTX 1660 Ti cannot, such as hardware ray tracing and AI acceleration. The higher average benchmark score (8746 versus 7723) and the better percentile ranking (44th versus 41st) further suggest that across a broader set of tests, the RTX 3050 A Mobile performs better overall, even if the GTX 1660 Ti dominates specific legacy tests.

Where Each One Wins

GTX 1660 Ti wins in: legacy DirectX APIs (DirectX 9, 10, 11), 2D graphics performance, overall Passmark G3D score, compute throughput in Passmark GPU compute, memory bandwidth and capacity, and pixel/texture fill rates. It is the preferred GPU for older game titles, applications that rely on DirectX 11 or earlier, and scenarios where large textures or high resolutions demand more memory and bandwidth.

RTX 3050 A Mobile wins in: DirectX 12 performance, OpenCL compute, power efficiency, ray tracing capability, tensor core acceleration, and overall average benchmark score. It is better suited for modern DirectX 12 titles, compute workloads that leverage OpenCL, and systems where power draw and heat dissipation are critical, such as thin-and-light laptops. Its higher transistor density and newer process node also indicate better architectural efficiency per watt, despite the GTX 1660 Ti having a higher raw FP32 throughput.