GTX 1660 Ti vs RTX 3050
The comparison between NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti and RTX 3050 creates an intense competition that attracts gamers, PC enthusiasts, and creators. We battle for domination in the budget-to-midrange GPU market. However, one will deliver better price-performance to your investment.
The following analysis looks into these two GPUs’ design specifications, measurable performance outcomes, and use cases in practice.
1. Architecture and Technology
GTX 1660 Ti
- Architecture: Turing (TU116)
- RT & Tensor Cores: No
- DLSS Support: No
- Ray Tracing: No
RTX 3050
- Architecture: Ampere (GA106)
- RT & Tensor Cores: Yes
- DLSS Support: Yes (Deep Learning Super Sampling)
- Ray Tracing: Yes
News value users should pick RTX 3050 because it supports upcoming features such as ray tracing alongside DLSS capabilities.
2. Specifications Overview
| Feature | GTX 1660 Ti | RTX 3050 |
| CUDA Cores | 1536 | 2560 |
| Base Clock | 1500 MHz | 1552 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1770 MHz | 1777 MHz |
| VRAM | 6GB GDDR6 | 8GB GDDR6 |
| TDP | 120W | 130W |
| Ray Tracing Cores | No | Yes |
| Tensor Cores | No | Yes |
3. Gaming Performance (1080p)
Traditional Rasterized Games:
In titles that refrain from ray tracing and DLSS applications, the GTX 1660 Ti delivers marginally superior performance compared to the RTX 3050. Examples:
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider: ~80 FPS (GTX) vs ~77 FPS (RTX)
- Far Cry 5: ~100 FPS (GTX) vs ~95 FPS (RTX)
- RTX 3050 demonstrates superior game performance with ray tracing technology and DLSS enabled.
- Full-game performance using DLSS technology gives the RTX 3050 an advantage compared to the GTX 1660 Ti.
- The ray tracing activation and DLSS combination enables the RTX 3050 to achieve 60+ Frames Per Second.
- Cyberpunk 2077 with DLSS: Playable on RTX 3050, unplayable on GTX 1660 Ti
To play 1080p games, traditionally, the GTX 1660 Ti gains a minimal advantage. For modern games with ray tracing/DLSS, RTX 3050 wins comfortably.
4. Content Creation & Productivity
- The GTX 1660 Ti creates solid performance in tasks that include video editing, rendering, and streaming applications.
- The RTX 3050 enables users to achieve increased speed performance when using Adobe applications Premiere Pro and After Effects. RTX 3050 outperforms GTX 1660 Ti because Tensor cores and NVENC encoder are better than their counterparts.
- Creatives will benefit more from the RTX 3050 thanks to its contemporary architecture and AI upgrading capabilities.
5. Power Consumption and Compatibility
- GTX 1660 Ti: Consumes less power (120W), more suitable for systems with lower wattage PSUs.
- RTX 3050: Slightly higher at 130W, but still manageable with most modern 450W+ power supplies.
The GTX 1660 Ti draws less power for operation when compared to the other model.
6. Price and Value (as of 2025)
Market price dynamics base their adjustments on regional factors alongside product supply fluctuation.
- GTX 1660 Ti: Generally cheaper (~$180 – USD 220)
- RTX 3050: Slightly more expensive (~$220 – USD 260)
The RTX 3050 offers better future sustainability because it incorporates DLSS functionality, ray tracing capability, and enhanced video memory capacity.
Conclusion
The GTX 1660 Ti remains competitive in performance ability and value offerings within modern market conditions. The RTX 3050 delivers three main attributes: DLSS technology, functions, and expanded ed memory capacity. People who want to combine elite gaming with enhanced content creation productivity would profit most from purchasing an RTX 3050.
GTX 1660 Ti delivers outstanding performance with 1080p resolution capabilities at affordable rates to gamers seeking basic visual graphics.
