Which NVIDIA GTX 660 Ti is for You?
When it came down to testing, the three GTX 660 Ti flexed their best CUDA cores rendering extremely similar frame rates in games which is really all anyone should expect from the first cards based on this new GPU. While, the EVGA GTX 660 Ti Superclocked fell just a few frames behind on one benchmark, it still performed well within reason and it was still very quiet and stable. GIGABYTE’s GTX 660 Ti OC card performs admirably as well providing the second highest results. However, the MSI GTX 660 Ti PE consistently lead the trio overall and is built the best for overclocking.
Overall, the ultimate winner is the GTX 660 Ti GPU and gamers looking for an affordable GPU that will increase frame rates and give you the latest features without destroying the piggy bank. Low power consumption, 1080p resolutions, and the ability to upgrade without upgrading your power supply, makes this card the right choice if the games you play are the latest DX11 titles. If all you play are older titles, then the advantages aren’t quite as clear cut as demonstrated in our results.
To summarize, here’s the low down on each of our test subjects.
EVGA GTX 660 Ti Superclocked
Price: $309.99 US Warranty: 3 Year Parts / 3 Year Labor
Pros
- Low power consumption
- Quiet, stable operations
- Gamer bundled sticker and poster
- Precision X and new OC Scanner X software
- SLI support on much lower Wattage power supplies
Cons
- Slightly slower performance here and there
- Doesn’t overclock as well as others
EVGA packs a little extra value with the inclusion of stickers and posters. While not important to performance, this is something that some gamers and enthusiasts really enjoy. Their latest Precision X overclocking and monitoring software is simple to use, works relatively well, and being able to add new skins is a bonus. The new OC Scanner X is especially handy for detailed monitoring while stress testing the GPU overclock.
The EVGA Superoverclock did have some anomalies with frame rates that made us believe that there could be some BIOS or hardware inconsistencies, but given its competitors have highly tweaked GPUs delivering better power, we can only assume that the GPU boost was affected by this. Still, most gamers will not notice the single digit frame rate drops, although benchmarkers will.
GIGABYTE GV-N66TOC-2GD
Price: $319.99 US Warranty: 3 Years Parts / 3 Years Labor
Pros
- Good factory OC frequencies
- Windforce 2X cooler is very quiet
- Good, stable performance all around
- Offers some overclocking headroom
- SLI support on much lower wattage power supplies
Cons
- Heat gets high too quickly for Windforce 2X to expel
- Meager bundle
- The highest priced GPU in our round up at launch
- OC GURU not very aggressive
If your needs are for a good all around gaming GPU that’s very quiet, then the GIGABYTE GV-N66TOC-2GD will treat you to a good experience. It also has the highest overclock out of the box, but seems to also have the highest price at around the $319 US price point on NewEgg. I’m sure rebates will correct the price out as this seems to be one of the most competitively priced launches in a while.
In our testing, the GIGABYTE unit takes the overall silent prize with cooling that is above normal for the type of noise level produced. We also have to applaud the GIGABYTE for staying very compact, allowing it to fit in even the tightest gaming rigs. An enhanced Ultra Durable PCB also puts it just just second behind the MSI in terms of overall performance, allowing GPU boost rates to deploy when needed.
MSI N660Ti PE 2GD5/OC
Price: $309.99 US (Plus $10 rebate at launch for $299.99) Warranty: 3 Years Parts / 3 Years Labor
Pros
- Decent factory OC frequencies
- Triple Overvoltage offers good overclocking
- Strong, stable performance
- Twin Frozr IV cools very well
- SLI support on much lower wattage power supplies
Cons
- Meager bundle
- MSI Afterburner still needs some polishing
Odd 3 year part / 2 Year labor warranty – Who solders my parts on after 2 years??See Update Below
Serious enthusiasts will want to consider the MSI N660Ti PE 2GD5/OC. In our tests, it seemed to put down the best overall overclock with the most aggressively designed cooler. The Twin Forzr IV cooler has always been one of the best performing coolers for pure performance and it definitely helps out the GTX 660 Ti GPU. The price at launch is also the most aggressive at $299 after a last minute rebate so it should fly off the shelves quickly. MSI’s Afterburner software continues to improve, but is still a little rough in some areas and what’s with that odd 3 year part / 2 year labor warranty? Do they expect you to solder your own parts on or something? UPDATE: MSI has informed us that their warranty policy is 3 years both parts and labor. You can verify the info on their website. We recommend MSI get the info out to all their retailers as even NewEgg still lists the policy as 3 year labor / 2 year parts. As consumers, their first point of contact is with the retailer when issues arise, so this should be looked after immediately.
Overall, not a bad pick if you want the best overclocking, lowest price and are willing to live with a strange warranty and no extras. Even though it wasn’t the highest overclock out of the box, the Triple Voltage design seemed to maintain the most consistent GPU Boost rates, which ultimately, gave it our highest scores even without the highest base overclocks.
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