GeForce GTX 660 and GeForce GTX 750 Ti are two graphics cards belonging to the older generations of Nvidia, but they can still be interesting options for those who have a tighter budget. A copy of the GTX 750 Ti costs as little as $156 today and can still handle lighter games – like CS:GO – with competitive performance. The same goes for GTX 660 which is $128.
Despite the acceptable performance for more modest gamers, the devices have their limitations due to the passage of time. With that in mind, Techidence explains below the technical specifications, features, and possible sacrifices involved in using GeForce devices from ten and eight years ago.
GTX 750 Ti and GTX 660 Datasheet
| GeForce GTX 750 Ti | GeForce GTX 660 | |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | February 2014 | September 2012 |
| Cores | 640 CUDA cores | 960 CUDA cores |
| Speeds | 1020 to 1085 MHz | 980 to 1032 MHz |
| RAM | 2 or 4 GB GDDR5 | 2 GB GDDR5 |
| Memory speed | 5.4 Gb/s | 6 Gb/s |
| Memory interface | 128 bits | 192 bits |
| Bandwidth | 86 GB/s | 144 GB/s |
| TDP | 60 W | 140 W |
Specifications
Both GeForce GTX 660 and GeForce GTX 750 Ti are older products from Nvidia. The 660 was released in 2012 and is made up of a 640-core CUDA graphics processor, capable of running at speeds from 980 to 1,032 MHz. The GTX 750 Ti, on the other hand, is a bit newer, having appeared on the market in 2014 with a 960 CUDA-core GPU and speeds of 1,020 to 1,085 MHz.
The GTX 660 offers a total of 2 GB of GDDR5 RAM. With a 192-bit interface, the card exchanges data between dedicated memory and graphics processor at a rate of 144 GB/s. The GTX 750 Ti, on the other hand, is found in two versions when it comes to RAM. The simplest comes with 2 GB of GDDR5 which, via a 128-bit connection, exchanges data with the GPU at 86 GB/s. You can also find versions of the 750 Ti with 4 GB of memory.
Newer technologies, such as real-time ray tracing acceleration and DLSS, are not offered by either card.
Performance
When it comes to performance, no miracles can be expected: while the 750 Ti was even compared to the PS4 at the time of launch, the GTX 660 is already ten years old. Thus, the task of using either one to run recent games can frustrate those who demand high resolutions and great graphics quality.
To face games with both cards, it may be necessary to accept resolutions below Full HD and also several sacrifices in terms of settings. However, if your gaming profile is geared towards older and/or lighter titles – something like cs:go and other eSports-focused games – you may be able to enjoy games with acceptable performance at 720p.
In a direct comparison between the two, the advantage tends to be with the GTX 660, despite the lower clocks. The card has faster memory and can yield up to 17% more, according to the average of comparisons available on GPU UserBenchmark.
Features
Being products of older Nvidia architectures, both GeForce lacks support for newer features. Apart from more gaming-oriented technologies such as DLSS and Ray Tracing, there is no hardware acceleration for HEVC (h.265) video processing.
This is an important detail because generally, those looking for older graphics cards tend to use them in HTPCs and computers dedicated to multimedia. Without HEVC support, the user may have difficulty playing back high-quality video files.
Power Consumption
The two graphics cards differ quite a bit when it comes to power. While the GTX 660 shows up with a TDP of 140 W, the GTX 750 Ti goes for 60 W. It is worth remembering that TDP is an index that manufacturers use to estimate how much power the component under-utilizes and releases in the form of heat.
Although this value is not a direct indicator of consumption, it serves to indicate levels of efficiency and also of noise. Cards that get hotter need more robust cooling systems, which tend to be noisier.
Nvidia also indicates the minimum capacity of the power supply to safely power both cards and the rest of the PC. For the GTX 660, the suggestion is 300 W, while the 750 Ti needs a 250 W minimum unit.
Price – GTX
It is very difficult to find both new cards on the market: at ten and eight years old. In addition, both are technologically outdated and have been replaced by several generations and new architectures from Nvidia and also AMD.
We could find the GTX 660 for sale on the internet for $128 on Amazon. The GTX 750 Ti, which is a bit newer, appears on Amazon: in our research, we found the new product at $156 in the 2 GB version.
Cost-benefit
As these are older devices, it is uncertain to what extent the investment in technologies that are almost a decade old is worth it. From a technical point of view, the GTX 660 offers superior performance in the available comparisons, but the GTX 750 Ti is easier to find.
However, a tip is to look for newer cards. GTX 1050 Ti and GTX 1650 are good options on Nvidia’s side, as well as the Radeon RX 400 line (in particular models 470 and 480) will be more rational bets in terms of lifespan and performance.
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