Should you get the NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti or GTX 1070?

Should you get the NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti or GTX 1070?

Best answer: The newer Turing-based GTX 1660 Ti bests the older GTX 1070 in performance and price and is the one to get.The winner: EVGA GTX 1660 Ti ($280)

Better performance at 1080p

This is one of those situations where the NVIDIA's product naming system can come unstuck. Normally, as the numbers go higher, the better the GPU. That's true of all last generation cards, where the GTX 1070 was better than the GTX 1060, for example.

The problem now is that the GTX 1660 Ti doesn't fit that system very well. Where the GTX 1070 is based on the last generation Pascal architecture, the GTX 1660 Ti is on the newer Turing platform, like the RTX series of GPUs.

It also outperforms the GTX 1070 in almost every way. It costs less, while as reviews point out offers stronger frame rates at 1080p, as well as having an edge when you step up to 1440p. At 1080p the difference can be as much as 10 FPS on ultra settings.

A better-priced graphics card

The GTX 1660 Ti is simply more affordable than the GTX 1070, even with the latter having been available for quite some time. You're still looking at $400 and up to get your hands on a GTX 1070.

That's compared to the GTX 1660 Ti which can be had below $300. The price gap is quite staggering, which when you add to the performance increases over the older GPU, makes it a no brainer.

Based on newer architecture

The GTX 1660 Ti is also just more modern. It's based on NVIDIA's newest Turing architecture, the platform that supports the RTX line. NVIDIA has recently announced that its ray tracing technology will be coming to GTX GPUs, and the GTX 1660 Ti is one of those that will get the magic update.

Turing is certainly the way forward for NVIDIA and represents a shift forward in performance and efficiency. The newer platform will set you up better for future gaming than the older one will. For more buying tips, be sure to have a look at our guide to the best graphics cards available now.

Richard Devine
Managing Editor - Tech, Reviews

Richard Devine is a Managing Editor at Windows Central with over a decade of experience. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently, you'll find him steering the site's coverage of all manner of PC hardware and reviews. Find him on Mastodon at mstdn.social/@richdevine