MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X Review: Pricey Performer

While its price is high compared to the new 5600 XT, this 1660 Super performs well.

MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X
(Image: © MSI)

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While we do not have the AMD RX 5600 XT results listed below, we know from our review it wipes the floor with 1660 Ti while priced at $279 or $289 (SEP/SRP). This poses a problem for such high priced 1660 Supers, like this MSI card, which is just $10-$20 cheaper but notably slower.

For this class of cards, testing at 1080p with ultra settings is going to be the performance sweet spot. Using the aforementioned canned settings, these cards will reach 60 fps on average for most titles. The 6GB is adequate vRAM for 1080p Ultra as well as running at 2560 x 1440 using medium settings.

At 1080p with Ultra settings, our MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X ranged from 43.4 fps (on Metro: Exodus, of course) up to 121.8 fps in Forza Horizon 4. Of our 11 titles, eight of them were above 60 FPS with only Metro, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint (56.8 fps) and Borderlands 3  (54.6 fps) falling below that mark. In short, this is a plenty capable 1080p ultra card.

If we compare this to the EVGA GTX 1660 Super SC Ultra, we find a virtual tie between them. The MSI averaged .2 fps more than the slightly lower clocked EVGA. Between them, they split ‘winning’ in games 5/5 with one tie. And the ‘wins’ weren’t by much, with the largest gap about 3 fps. When looking at the EVGA GTX 1660 Ti XC, it is the fastest card between all three, but not by much at all, with1 fps or around 1.5%.

 

The Division 2

Ghost Recon: Breakpoint

Borderlands 3

Gears of War 5

Strange Brigade

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Far Cry 5

Metro Exodus

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

Forza Horizon 4

Battlefield V

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Joe Shields
Motherboard Reviewer

Joe Shields is a Freelance writer for Tom’s Hardware US. He reviews motherboards.