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The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 2GB is a mid-range graphics card from NVIDIA’s 600 series, released in 2012. It was based on the Kepler architecture and offered a solid balance between performance and power efficiency at the time. Here’s a breakdown of its key specifications and performance characteristics:
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 2GB Key Specifications:
- GPU Architecture: Kepler
- CUDA Cores: 960
- Base Clock: 980 MHz
- Memory: 2GB GDDR5
- Memory Interface: 192-bit
- Memory Speed: 6008 MHz (effective)
- TDP (Thermal Design Power): 140W
- Bus Interface: PCI Express 3.0
- Display Outputs: Typically includes DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI, and DisplayPort (depending on the specific model)
- DirectX Support: DirectX 11.1
- Power Connectors: One 6-pin PCIe connector
Performance:
- In 2012, the GTX 660 2GB was positioned as an excellent option for 1080p gaming with good performance in most titles.
- It could handle many games at medium to high settings in 1080p, but its performance would start to fall behind in more demanding titles released after its launch.
- With its 2GB of GDDR5 memory, it was suitable for many games of its time, but newer games, especially those with higher texture requirements, might challenge its VRAM limits.
Modern Relevance:
- By today’s standards, the GTX 660 2GB is considered quite outdated. It struggles with newer, graphically intensive titles, particularly at higher resolutions or with more demanding settings.
- For casual or retro gaming, or as part of a budget PC build for light tasks, it can still be viable, but it’s unlikely to provide a smooth experience in modern AAA games.
In summary, the GTX 660 2GB was a great mid-range GPU for its time, but it is no longer suitable for high-end gaming or running the latest games at high settings. If you’re planning to game on a modern system, upgrading to a more recent GPU would provide a much better experience.
Detailed specifications for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660:
Core Specifications:
- GPU Architecture: Kepler
- CUDA Cores: 960
- Base Clock: 980 MHz
- Boost Clock: 1058 MHz (varies by model)
- Texture Units: 80
- ROPs (Raster Operations Pipelines): 24
- Transistor Count: 2.54 billion
- Manufacturing Process: 28nm
Memory:
- Memory Size: 2GB GDDR5
- Memory Interface: 192-bit
- Memory Speed: 6008 MHz (effective)
- Memory Bandwidth: 144.2 GB/s
Power Requirements:
- TDP (Thermal Design Power): 140W
- Recommended PSU: 450W
- Power Connectors: 1 x 6-pin PCIe power connector
Display Outputs:
- 1 x HDMI 1.4a
- 2 x DVI-I (Dual-Link)
- 1 x DisplayPort 1.2
DirectX Support:
- DirectX: 11.1
- OpenGL: 4.3
- OpenCL: 1.2
Additional Features:
- NVIDIA Surround: Supports multi-monitor gaming with NVIDIA Surround (up to 3 monitors)
- NVIDIA 3D Vision: Supports NVIDIA 3D Vision for 3D gaming and entertainment
- NVIDIA PhysX: Hardware-accelerated physics processing
- GPU Boost: Dynamically increases GPU clock speeds for better performance when needed
- NVIDIA Adaptive V-Sync: Smooths frame rates for a better visual experience
- NVIDIA ShadowPlay: Allows for game recording and streaming
Performance Overview:
- The GTX 660 was designed as a solid 1080p gaming card in its time, capable of handling most games at medium to high settings.
- While it lacks the raw power to run modern, demanding titles on high settings, it can still be used for older or less demanding games, as well as lighter tasks like media playback and basic graphical workloads.
Given that the card is now quite old (released in 2012), it is best suited for budget-conscious users or for systems intended for light gaming or general computing tasks. If you’re planning on playing more recent or graphically intensive games, upgrading to a more current model would be advisable.
