NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Rev. 2
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Rev. 2: The Resurrection of a Legend or a Budget Compromise?
(Relevant as of April 2025)
Introduction
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Rev. 2 is an updated version of the classic model from 2012, released as part of the "NVIDIA Reloaded" program aimed at the budget segment. The card is positioned as a solution for gamers who value price but do not want to completely give up modern technologies. In this article, we will explore what the GTX 660 Rev. 2 is capable of in 2025 and who it is suitable for.
1. Architecture and Key Features
Architecture:
The GTX 660 Rev. 2 is built on the revamped Kepler+ architecture—an optimized version of the original Kepler (2012), adapted for TSMC's 12nm manufacturing process. This allowed for lower power consumption and a slight increase in clock speeds.
Key Features:
- DLSS 2.0 Support (through drivers): NVIDIA has added compatibility with the upscaling technology, which improves FPS in games that support it.
- No RT Cores: Hardware ray tracing is not available.
- 7th Generation NVENC Encoder: Accelerated video encoding for streaming and editing.
Why not RTX?
The card belongs to the GTX series, so it lacks specialized cores for ray tracing. However, thanks to DLSS 2.0, it can partially compensate for the lack of power.
2. Memory
Type and Size:
- GDDR6 6 GB (previously GDDR5 2 GB).
- 192-bit Bus: Bandwidth—288 GB/s (compared to 144 GB/s for the original).
Impact on Performance:
The updated memory addresses the issue of VRAM shortages in modern games. For example, in Hogwarts Legacy 2 (2024) at 1080p, the card uses 4.5–5 GB, avoiding lag due to buffer overflow. However, for 1440p and high-quality textures, 6 GB is already at its limit.
3. Gaming Performance
1080p (Full HD):
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (medium settings, DLSS Quality): 45–50 FPS.
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare V (high settings, DLSS Balanced): 60 FPS.
- Fortnite (epic settings, DLSS Performance): 75 FPS.
1440p (QHD):
Requires lowering settings to medium:
- Apex Legends: 50–55 FPS (without DLSS), 65 FPS (with DLSS).
4K:
Not recommended—even with DLSS Performance, the frame rate rarely exceeds 30 FPS.
Ray Tracing:
The absence of RT cores makes RTX effects impractical. In Minecraft RTX, FPS drops to 15–20, which is unacceptable.
4. Professional Tasks
Video Editing:
Thanks to the 7th Generation NVENC Encoder, the card handles rendering in DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro. Rendering a 10-minute 4K video takes 12–15 minutes (compared to 8 minutes for the RTX 3050).
3D Modeling:
In Blender and AutoCAD, performance is modest:
- CUDA Acceleration is supported, but for complex scenes (10+ million polygons), more VRAM is needed.
Scientific Calculations:
Use in machine learning is limited due to the small memory and lack of Tensor Cores. Suitable only for educational projects.
5. Power Consumption and Heat Generation
TDP: 130 W (compared to 140 W for the original).
Recommendations:
- Power Supply: At least 450 W (e.g., Corsair CV450).
- Cooling: The reference cooler is adequate, but it becomes noisy under load (35 dB). For cases with poor ventilation, it's better to choose a model with 2 fans (e.g., from ASUS Dual).
- Case: At least 2 expansion slots and 1 exhaust fan.
6. Comparison with Competitors
- AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT (4 GB): Weaker in DX12 games (by 15–20%), but cheaper ($130 vs. $160 for GTX 660 Rev. 2).
- Intel Arc A380 (6 GB): Better with AV1 encoding, but drivers are still problematic.
- NVIDIA RTX 2050 (4 GB): Less favorable price/performance ratio ($180 for similar FPS).
Conclusion: The GTX 660 Rev. 2 only outperforms competitors with active DLSS usage.
7. Practical Tips
- Power Supply: 450 W + 8-pin cable.
- Compatibility: PCIe 4.0 x8 (backward compatible with 3.0).
- Drivers: Regularly update via GeForce Experience—NVIDIA continues to optimize for older architectures.
- Overclocking: Modest potential (+5–7% frequency), but helps squeeze an extra 3–5 FPS.
8. Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Affordable price ($160–180).
- Support for DLSS 2.0.
- Improved power efficiency.
Cons:
- No ray tracing.
- Limited performance at 1440p.
- Only 6 GB VRAM (a bit inadequate for 2025).
9. Final Verdict: Who is the GTX 660 Rev. 2 For?
This graphics card is suitable for:
1. Budget gamers playing at 1080p.
2. Owners of older PCs looking to upgrade their GPU without replacing the power supply.
3. New streamers using NVENC for encoding.
However, if you plan to play at 1440p or work with professional applications, you should pay extra for the RTX 3050 (6 GB) or Radeon RX 6600 (8 GB). The GTX 660 Rev. 2 is a favorable compromise, but only for very specific scenarios.
Price: $160–180 (new, April 2025).