Gtx 1660 super vs rx 590: the battle for the mid-range

The eternal fight: Nvidia vs AMD . Today we are going to talk about a confrontation that occurs in the minor leagues, although, why medium / low range and not only medium? We're going to compare the RX 590 vs. GTX 1660 SUPER charts , so if you want to know which chart stands out above the other, keep reading.

Index of contents

RX 590 vs GTX 1660 SUPER

The AMD RX 590 belongs to a line of graphics cards that were very remarkable.

The RX 500 range has been a very popular low-cost graphics set in the community, with the RX 580 being especially famous. Not for nothing, the RX 590 was an improved version in exchange for a slightly higher price.

The truth is that for current standards, this component has not been too far behind. Except for some specific characteristics, most values ​​are practically the same as those of current graphs.

Here we leave you with a general list of its characteristics:

• Architecture: Polaris Base frequency: 1498MHz Boost frequency: 1560MHz Transistor count: 5.7 billion Transistor size: 12nm Memory speed (effective): 8 Gbps Memory size: 8 GB GDDR5 Memory interface: 256-bit Bandwidth of max memory: 256GB / s Power connectors: 1x8pin TDP: 175W Release date: 11/15/2018 Approximate price: € 220

In general, it is quite balanced.

On paper, frequencies, VRAM, and memory widths are good. The only thing we would have to mention negatively is the use of GDRR5 , a standard of the previous generation.

Despite this, the RX 590 achieves good performances, as indicated by the company on its own website, especially when we talk about 1080p. An example of this is their framerate table where they present various popular games with maximum graphics and all above 60 fps.

However, are you able to get this same performance in more current titles? Later, we will see how this card behaves both in video games, and in other more synthetic tests.

Nvidia GTX 1660 SUPER

In the other corner, we have the Nvidia GTX 1660 SUPER , the new member of the green team.

This graphic is a revision to the GTX 1660 Original and brings the SUPER tag, that is, it has the new Turing architecture. Despite having almost the same characteristics as its predecessor, the advantage of having more advanced technologies are remarkable.

For a price approximately 10% higher, the Nvidia graphics brings us an extra ration of specifications. Below we show you the same list of data, but for the GTX 1660 SUPER :

• Architecture: Turing Base frequency: 1530MHz Boost frequency: 1860MHz Transistor count: 6.6 billion Transistor size: 12nm Memory speed (effective): 14 Gbps Memory size: 6GB GDDR6 Memory interface: 192-bit Bandwidth of max memory: 336GB / s Power connectors: 1x8pin TDP: 125W Release date: 10/29/2019 Approximate price: € 250

As you can see, in most points we have superior characteristics such as higher frequencies, VRAM GDDR6 or more effective memory speed. It is true that we lose memory interface, but at the end of the day, we will have a higher bandwidth.

On the other hand, it is worth noting the low TDP that it has, which is due to the new Turing architecture, which is much more efficient than Polaris . However, how well is the new member performing? Will he be able to overcome the old glories or will he stay halfway?

We are going to see how both graphs unfold in synthetic tests, where we will see their performance as an individual component. Then, we will review their performance in video games, where we can see how they behave in a more real environment.

Work bench

For these benchmarks, the workbench used has been as follows:

	MSI MEG Z390 ACE (RX 590) ASUS Maximus XI Formula (GTX 1660 SUPER)
	ASRock Phantom Gaming U Radeon RX 590 Gigabyte GTX 1660 SUPER Gaming OC
	Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 1000W (RX 590) Cooler Master V850 Gold (GTX 1660 SUPER)

We have tried to keep the variations in components to be minimal, but due to the distance between the two launches it has been difficult.

However, we believe that the results are sufficiently representative of the base performance of both graphics cards.

Synthetic Benchmark: RX 590 vs GTX 1660 SUPER

In the synthetic tests section we will resort to some 3DMark and VRMark tests , as is common. The first one is the old core test, that is, Fire Strike .

For a negligible advantage, in Fire Strike , the Gigabyte GTX 1660 SUPER performs better than its direct opponent. However, with these similar scores, the difference is practically nil.

On the other hand, in Fire Strike Ultra we observe a strange behavior.

In this test, the ASRock RX 590 takes off and takes approximately 10% advantage of the Nvidia graphics . The thing is, the main difference between Fire Strike and Fire Strike Ultra is that the latter runs in 4K .

Not surprisingly, we will see later if this is reproduced the same in real environments, or in other words, in video games.

Here we have the results in Time Spy , which we think are considerably more reliable than the Fire Strike data .

Although the two tests are similar, this second one was created more recently. This means that the technologies and features tested are more in line with the world and applications that we use on a daily basis.

It is possible that 5 years ago high frequencies were given priority, but that today energy efficiency is given more weight. Therefore, scoring more in Time Spy is usually more relevant than scoring more in Fire Strike .

Finally, in the Virtual Reality section , we see how in the battle RX 590 vs GTX 1660 SUPER this second one wins. The advantage is around 15%, so it is not accidental, but basic is more powerful.

Next we dive into the world of video games to check in-game performance.

Gaming Benchmarks: RX 590 vs GTX 1660 SUPER

The six games that you will see below are among the most demanding on the market, currently. Therefore, even if we do not reach 60fps in some of them, it is possible that in titles with less workload we can reach decent framerates.

Regarding 1080p , we see the expected behavior of the two graphics.

We did not find any title where the RX 590 can stand out above its opponent. The most remarkable thing is that none is capable of reaching 60 fps in the Metro Exodus , although being one of the most complex titles of these times, it is understandable.

Furthermore, the advantage is always between 10% and 25% , in some of them. Such a big improvement is not turkey mucus.

In 1440p , things do not change too much, since in some titles the advantage of the GTX 1660 SUPER grows, although in others it narrows. However, we can find something similar, a difference of between 10% and 25% depending on which game.

Also, it should be noted that the GTX 1660 SUPER falters in the Deus Ex , that is, it drops below 60 fps. Still it is able to offer us acceptable performance in 4 of the 6 games.

Meanwhile, his opponent is only capable of maintaining a few fps above 60 in the Doom (2016), which stands out for being very well optimized.

In 4K neither of them offers us a framerate above 60 fps , something normal for the price range in which we are. Anyway, 4K gaming still does not seem a very palpable alternative, nor with the best graphics on the market.

Consumption and Temperatures

Here it will be clearly seen how the most advanced technologies of one of the graphs become capital in the comparison.

It is almost unavoidable that the new components are more efficient than their counterparts from previous generations and the truth is that Turing strictly complies with this.

We must emphasize that neither of the two graphs meet their estimated TDP . However, one outperforms it by quite a bit, while the other maintains a much lower profile (in absolute terms) .

The GTX 1660 SUPER is always in the lowest consumption group for both idle and workload. On the other hand, the RX 590 maintains considerably high consumption.

While it is true that the energy expended is not especially relevant when buying a component, you can see it as a long-term savings. Less consumption means less spent light, as well as a more responsible use of electricity, something that benefits the environment.

Not for nothing, now we will check the temperatures, since not all consumption translates into wasted heat.

In temperatures we have to highlight that the RX 590 maintains a very low profile at rest, but this changes drastically when assigning a workload. On the other hand, the GTX 1660 SUPER always maintains good temperatures in both cases.

However, and as is common, in no case are these temperatures worrisome.

Final words on the battle RX 590 vs GTX 1660 SUPER

If we consider only these two components, the conclusion is quite clear.

Our recommendation is that you buy the GTX 1660 SUPER above the RX 590 . However, if the comparison were against the GTX 1660 Original (which has an identical price to the RX 590) , things would change.

Be that as it may, this green team graphics card is noticeably more powerful than its opponent. The performance it shows is on average around 15-25% higher and considering the cost is around 10% higher, it is an acceptable exchange.

However, where one stands out above the other is in energy efficiency.

As the GTX 1660 SUPER is a newer graphics, it makes much better use of its power, which is why we recommend it more. We have already mentioned it many times, but in technology, almost always having a newer component is indicative that it is better.

However, new AMD graphics are on the way, and the Navi architecture could disrupt Nvidia's plans. It is true that in the RX 590 vs GTX 1660 SUPER Nvidia wins by a bit, but what would happen if we did the same comparison with the RX 5500 XT or some other model that is falling?

Now tell us, which graph seems the best decision to you? What other component would you recommend buying, instead of these two? Share your ideas in the comment box.

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