PNY GeForce GTX 1660 XLR8 Gaming OC Graphics Card Review: A small GPU for compact PCs

Sebastian Bade, ✓ Andrea Grüblinger (translated by Alex Alderson), 11/19/2019

A good 1080p alternative. The GeForce GTX 1660 closes the gap between the GTX 1650 and the GTX 1660 Ti, although NVIDIA has now released SUPER flavours of the GTX 1650 and GTX 1660 too. The GTX 1660 comes with 6 GB of GDDR5 VRAM, while the PNY XLR8 Gaming OC has a relatively economical TDP of 120 W. Read on to find out how well this compact desktop GPU gets on in our tests and how it compares against other cards.

NVIDIA pitches the GeForce GTX 1660 between the GTX 1650 and GTX 1660 Ti not only on price but also performance. As its name suggests, the GPU has no ray-tracing cores, which NVIDIA reserves for the RTX series.

NVIDIA has included an 8-pin power connector on the GTX 1660 as it requires a little more power under load than its Turing entry-level sibling, the GTX 1650. However, the GTX 1660 has fewer shaders and texture units than the GTX 1660 Ti, along with GDDR5 rather than GDDR6 VRAM. Correspondingly, the GTX 1660 has a lower memory bandwidth than the GTX 1660 Ti too, although both operate on the same memory bus. The GTX 1660 has the edge over the GTX 1660 Ti on clock speeds. Both have 6 GB of VRAM too.

The PNY XLR8 Gaming OC has an HDMI 2.0b port, along with DVI and DisplayPort connections.

PNY includes 36 months' warranty as standard too, which is a nice touch. Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies & Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

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An overview of NVIDIA Turing GPUs

Specifications	GTX 1650	GTX 1660	GTX 1660 Ti	RTX 2060	RTX 2070	RTX 2080	RTX 2080 Ti
GPU	TU117	TU116	TU116	TU106	TU106	TU104	TU102
Process	12 nm	12 nm	12 nm	12 nm	12 nm	12 nm	12 nm
Shader units	896	1,408	1,536	1,920	2,304	2,944	4,352
Texture units	56	88	96	120	144	184	272
Tensor Cores	-	-	-	240	288	368	544
RT Cores	-	-	-	30	36	46	68
GPU base clock	1,485 MHz	1,530 MHz	1,500 MHz	1,365 MHz	1,410 MHz	1,515 MHz	1,350 MHz
GPU boost clock	1,665 MHz	1,785 MHz	1,770 MHz	1,680 MHz	1,620 MHz	1,710 MHz	1,545 MHz
Memory bus	128 Bit	192 Bit	192 Bit	192 Bit	256 Bit	256 Bit	352 Bit
Memory bandwidth	128 GB/s	192.1 GB/s	288 GB/s	336 GB/s	448 GB/s	448 GB/s	616 GB/s
VRAM	4 GB GDDR5	6 GB GDDR5	6 GB GDDR6	6 GB GDDR6	8 GB GDDR6	8 GB GDDR6	11 GB GDDR6
TDP	75 W	120 W	120 W	160 W	175 W	215 W	250 W

The Test System - AMD Ryzen 9 3900X as a base

We paired the XLR8 Gaming OC with an MSI MEG X570 Godlike motherboard and an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X processor for our tests. The Ryzen 9 3900X offers excellent performance as we discovered in our review earlier this year, and we used a Be Quiet Silent Loop 280 mm AIO to keep it cool. We also used 16 GB of G-Skill Trident Z Royal Gold RAM that we left clocked at 3,600 MHz on CL16-16-16-36. Finally, we ran all our benchmarks and tests on an Acer Predator XB321HK, a 4K monitor that we have used in many of our gaming reviews.

A big thank you to AMD for kindly providing us with this test platform.

Case	Corsair Carbide Air 540 ATX Cube
CPU	AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
GPU	PNY GeForce GTX 1660 XLR8 Gaming OC
CPU cooler	Be Quiet Silent Loop 280 mm
RAM	G-Skill Trident Z Royal Gold DDR4-3600 2 x 8 GB (DDR4-3600 CL16-16-16-36)
Motherboard	MSI MEG X570 Godlike (BIOS 1.20, Default Settings, XMP 1 for DDR4-3600 CL16)
Monitor	Acer Predator XB321HK 4K
Power supply	Corsair RM 1000X
SSD	Corsair MP600 2 TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD
SDD	Western Digital SN720 512 GB - for games
SSD	Crucial MX500 2 TB - for games
OS	Microsoft Windows 10 Professional 64-Bit (Version 1903)
Drivers	NVIDIA 441.12

Clock speeds - A higher boost clock than NVIDIA reference speeds

The XLR8 Gaming OC remains close to NVIDIA reference clock speeds. The card can hit 1,830 MHz though, which is 45 MHz higher than the 1,785 MHz reference boost clock. Its 1,530 MHz base clock is unchanged though, as is its 2,000 MHz VRAM clock speed. Correspondingly, the XLR8 Gaming OC has the same 192.1 GB/s memory bandwidth as other GTX 1660 cards.

Synthetic Benchmarks - Keeping pace with the Radeon RX 570

The XLR8 Gaming OC performed as expected in synthetic benchmarks, namely between the GTX 1650 and GTX 1660 Ti. Nonetheless, the gap between our review unit and the GTX 1660 Ti is between 10 and 30%. However, our review unit scores up to 60% more than the GTX 1650, with the largest gaps occurring at higher resolutions because of the additional 2 GB of VRAM that the GTX 1660 has.

Compared to AMD, the XLR8 Gamin OC roughly performs on par with the AMD Radeon RX 570. While the former matches the latter in most instances, the RX 570 occasionally has an edge because of its higher volume of VRAM.

Performance Rating
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	95.2 pt ∼95%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	84.1 pt ∼84%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	76.6 pt ∼77%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	64.3 pt ∼64%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	61.6 pt ∼62%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	51.8 pt ∼52%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	50.7 pt ∼51%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	38.9 pt ∼39%

3DMark
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	8673 Points ∼100% +58%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	7732 Points ∼89% +41%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	7675 Points ∼88% +39%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	6131 Points ∼71% +11%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	5502 Points ∼63%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	4863 Points ∼56% -12%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	3958 Points ∼46% -28%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	3492 Points ∼40% -37%
3840x2160 Fire Strike Ultra Graphics
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	5955 Points ∼100% +122%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	5292 Points ∼89% +97%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	4244 Points ∼71% +58%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	3702 Points ∼62% +38%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	3158 Points ∼53% +18%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	3070 Points ∼52% +14%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	2684 Points ∼45%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	1674 Points ∼28% -38%
Fire Strike Extreme Graphics
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	12209 Points ∼100% +90%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	10876 Points ∼89% +70%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	9097 Points ∼75% +42%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	7328 Points ∼60% +14%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	7184 Points ∼59% +12%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	6414 Points ∼53%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	6077 Points ∼50% -5%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	4044 Points ∼33% -37%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	25383 Points ∼100% +83%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	22457 Points ∼88% +62%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	19338 Points ∼76% +40%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	16746 Points ∼66% +21%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	16024 Points ∼63% +16%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	13847 Points ∼55%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	13827 Points ∼54% 0%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	9195 Points ∼36% -34%

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	35715 Points ∼100% +73%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	31570 Points ∼88% +53%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	26413 Points ∼74% +28%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	23202 Points ∼65% +12%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	22128 Points ∼62% +7%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	20696 Points ∼58%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	18967 Points ∼53% -8%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	13759 Points ∼39% -34%

Unigine Heaven 4.0
Extreme Preset OpenGL
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	115.8 fps ∼100% +41%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	110.2 fps ∼95% +34%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	100.7 fps ∼87% +22%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	94.3 fps ∼81% +14%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	82.4 fps ∼71%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	60.3 fps ∼52% -27%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	55.7 fps ∼48% -32%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	54.3 fps ∼47% -34%
Extreme Preset DX11
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	132.5 fps ∼100% +51%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	124.1 fps ∼94% +42%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	119.9 fps ∼90% +37%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	100.9 fps ∼76% +15%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	87.6 fps ∼66%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	76.1 fps ∼57% -13%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	64.7 fps ∼49% -26%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	56.8 fps ∼43% -35%

Unigine Valley 1.0
1920x1080 Extreme HD DirectX AA:x8
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	106.3 fps ∼100% +66%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	99.3 fps ∼93% +55%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	91.2 fps ∼86% +42%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	77.4 fps ∼73% +21%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	64.2 fps ∼60%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	57.3 fps ∼54% -11%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	49.1 fps ∼46% -24%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	42.1 fps ∼40% -34%
1920x1080 Extreme HD Preset OpenGL AA:x8
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	89.1 fps ∼100% +51%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	83.6 fps ∼94% +41%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	82.7 fps ∼93% +40%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	70.5 fps ∼79% +19%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	59.1 fps ∼66%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	50 fps ∼56% -15%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	42.8 fps ∼48% -28%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	40 fps ∼45% -32%

LuxMark v2.0 64Bit
Room GPUs-only
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	2586 Samples/s ∼100% +27%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	2108 Samples/s ∼82% +4%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	2104 Samples/s ∼81% +4%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	2030 Samples/s ∼78%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	1996 Samples/s ∼77% -2%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	1856 Samples/s ∼72% -9%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	1600 Samples/s ∼62% -21%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	1368 Samples/s ∼53% -33%
Sala GPUs-only
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	6188 Samples/s ∼100% +52%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	5655 Samples/s ∼91% +39%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	5312 Samples/s ∼86% +31%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	4440 Samples/s ∼72% +9%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	4084 Samples/s ∼66% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	4070 Samples/s ∼66%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	3282 Samples/s ∼53% -19%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	2577 Samples/s ∼42% -37%

ComputeMark v2.1
1024x600 Normal, QJuliaRayTrace
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	5761 Points ∼100% +54%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	4903 Points ∼85% +31%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	4703 Points ∼82% +26%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	3975 Points ∼69% +6%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	3740 Points ∼65%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	3299 Points ∼57% -12%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	2538 Points ∼44% -32%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	2444 Points ∼42% -35%
1024x600 Normal, Mandel Scalar
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	4869 Points ∼100% +121%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	4043 Points ∼83% +84%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	3312 Points ∼68% +51%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	2982 Points ∼61% +36%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	2478 Points ∼51% +13%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	2362 Points ∼49% +7%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	2199 Points ∼45%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	1474 Points ∼30% -33%
1024x600 Normal, Mandel Vector
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	4246 Points ∼100% +92%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	3532 Points ∼83% +60%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	2802 Points ∼66% +27%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	2800 Points ∼66% +26%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	2327 Points ∼55% +5%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	2214 Points ∼52%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	2169 Points ∼51% -2%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	1628 Points ∼38% -26%
1024x600 Normal, Fluid 2DTexArr
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	1960 Points ∼100% +90%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	1810 Points ∼92% +76%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	1801 Points ∼92% +75%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	1452 Points ∼74% +41%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	1140 Points ∼58% +11%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	1030 Points ∼53%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	997 Points ∼51% -3%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	673 Points ∼34% -35%
1024x600 Normal, Fluid 3DTex
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	2349 Points ∼100% +123%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	2294 Points ∼98% +118%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	1889 Points ∼80% +79%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	1531 Points ∼65% +45%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	1239 Points ∼53% +18%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	1106 Points ∼47% +5%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	1054 Points ∼45%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	698 Points ∼30% -34%
1024x600 Normal, Score
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	19184 Points ∼100% +87%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	16383 Points ∼85% +60%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	14375 Points ∼75% +40%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	11791 Points ∼61% +15%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	11648 Points ∼61% +14%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	10237 Points ∼53%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	9194 Points ∼48% -10%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	7011 Points ∼37% -32%

SPECviewperf 12
1900x1060 Solidworks (sw-03)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	89.55 fps ∼100% +107%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	79.21 fps ∼88% +83%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	70.44 fps ∼79% +63%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	59.94 fps ∼67% +38%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	57.59 fps ∼64% +33%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	55.36 fps ∼62% +28%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	43.33 fps ∼48% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	43.33 fps ∼48%
1900x1060 Siemens NX (snx-02)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	35.27 fps ∼100% +444%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	33.5 fps ∼95% +417%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	24.87 fps ∼71% +284%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	19.35 fps ∼55% +199%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	8.55 fps ∼24% +32%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	8.35 fps ∼24% +29%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	6.48 fps ∼18% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	6.48 fps ∼18%
1900x1060 Medical (medical-01)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	46.9 fps ∼100% +119%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	40.97 fps ∼87% +91%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	35.22 fps ∼75% +65%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	33.92 fps ∼72% +58%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	31.75 fps ∼68% +48%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	21.41 fps ∼46% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	21.41 fps ∼46%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	18.12 fps ∼39% -15%
1900x1060 Maya (maya-04)
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	127.42 fps ∼100% +49%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	123.16 fps ∼97% +44%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	86.51 fps ∼68% +1%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	85.26 fps ∼67% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	85.26 fps ∼67%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	73.32 fps ∼58% -14%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	66.24 fps ∼52% -22%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	31.7 fps ∼25% -63%
1900x1060 Energy (energy-01)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	12.72 fps ∼100% +478%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	11.53 fps ∼91% +424%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	9.19 fps ∼72% +318%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	7.89 fps ∼62% +259%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	5.95 fps ∼47% +170%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	4.27 fps ∼34% +94%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	2.2 fps ∼17% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	2.2 fps ∼17%
1900x1060 Creo (creo-01)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	66.87 fps ∼100% +144%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	60.21 fps ∼90% +120%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	49.01 fps ∼73% +79%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	44.45 fps ∼66% +62%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	41.33 fps ∼62% +51%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	36.6 fps ∼55% +34%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	27.36 fps ∼41% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	27.36 fps ∼41%
1900x1060 Catia (catia-04)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	158.81 fps ∼100% +271%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	135.74 fps ∼85% +217%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	123.47 fps ∼78% +188%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	74.84 fps ∼47% +75%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	65.95 fps ∼42% +54%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	54.64 fps ∼34% +28%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	42.85 fps ∼27% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	42.85 fps ∼27%
1900x1060 3ds Max (3dsmax-05)
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	183.6 fps ∼100% +73%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	173.77 fps ∼95% +63%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	159.02 fps ∼87% +49%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	155.74 fps ∼85% +46%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	120.33 fps ∼66% +13%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	107.88 fps ∼59% +1%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	106.41 fps ∼58% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	106.41 fps ∼58%

SPECviewperf 13
Solidworks (sw-04)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	114.44 fps ∼100% +88%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	101.77 fps ∼89% +67%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	83.42 fps ∼73% +37%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	82.95 fps ∼72% +37%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	79.9 fps ∼70% +32%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	77.54 fps ∼68% +28%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	60.76 fps ∼53% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	60.76 fps ∼53%
Siemens NX (snx-03)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	61.27 fps ∼100% +428%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	60.49 fps ∼99% +421%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	44.18 fps ∼72% +281%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	38.28 fps ∼62% +230%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	15.26 fps ∼25% +32%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	14.99 fps ∼24% +29%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	11.6 fps ∼19% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	11.6 fps ∼19%
Medical (medical-02)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	82.83 fps ∼100% +199%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	67.51 fps ∼82% +144%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	49.1 fps ∼59% +78%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	43.54 fps ∼53% +57%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	42.08 fps ∼51% +52%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	27.9 fps ∼34% +1%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	27.66 fps ∼33% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	27.66 fps ∼33%
Maya (maya-05)
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	246.96 fps ∼100% +91%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	220.34 fps ∼89% +71%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	202.66 fps ∼82% +57%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	185.19 fps ∼75% +43%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	151.03 fps ∼61% +17%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	143.92 fps ∼58% +11%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	129.23 fps ∼52% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	129.23 fps ∼52%
Energy (energy-02)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	26.82 fps ∼100% +831%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	24.55 fps ∼92% +752%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	11.17 fps ∼42% +288%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	8.98 fps ∼33% +212%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	8.1 fps ∼30% +181%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	7.62 fps ∼28% +165%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	2.88 fps ∼11% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	2.88 fps ∼11%
Creo (creo-02)
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	169.83 fps ∼100% +94%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	156.98 fps ∼92% +79%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	133.46 fps ∼79% +53%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	116.7 fps ∼69% +33%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	90 fps ∼53% +3%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	87.5 fps ∼52% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	87.5 fps ∼52%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	80.19 fps ∼47% -8%
Catia (catia-05)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	242.76 fps ∼100% +302%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	209.21 fps ∼86% +247%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	168.94 fps ∼70% +180%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	153.63 fps ∼63% +154%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	108.16 fps ∼45% +79%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	94.27 fps ∼39% +56%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	60.37 fps ∼25% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	60.37 fps ∼25%
3ds Max (3dsmax-06)
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	184.36 fps ∼100% +75%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	175.55 fps ∼95% +66%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	159.38 fps ∼86% +51%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	157 fps ∼85% +49%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB	120.44 fps ∼65% +14%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	108.41 fps ∼59% +3%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	105.54 fps ∼57% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	105.54 fps ∼57%

SiSoft Sandra 2016
Image Processing
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	919.18 MPix/s ∼100% +35%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	912 MPix/s ∼99% +34%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	775 MPix/s ∼84% +14%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	737.26 MPix/s ∼80% +8%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	680.77 MPix/s ∼74%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	440.57 MPix/s ∼48% -35%
GP Cryptography (Higher Security AES256+SHA2-512)
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	63.84 GB/s ∼100% +22%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	52.19 GB/s ∼82%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	46.29 GB/s ∼73% -11%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	29.52 GB/s ∼46% -43%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	23.8 GB/s ∼37% -54%
GP Financial Analysis (FP High/Double Precision)
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB	137.45 KOPT/s ∼100% +98%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G	99.09 KOPT/s ∼72% +42%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB	73.83 KOPT/s ∼54% +6%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660	69.57 KOPT/s ∼51%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB	44.82 KOPT/s ∼33% -36%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	24 KOPT/s ∼17% -66%
AMD Radeon RX 5700	20.81 KOPT/s ∼15% -70%

3DMark 05 Standard		53031 points
3DMark 06 Standard		43633 points
3DMark Vantage P Result		57895 points
3DMark 11 Performance		19912 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score		176879 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score		45665 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score		12629 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score		6359 points
3DMark Time Spy Score		5985 points
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... in comparison

Gaming Benchmarks - A solid 1080p gamer

The Witcher 3: Response times – ultra preset

The Witcher 3: Frame rates – ultra preset

The XLR8 Gaming OC also convinced in our gaming tests. The GPU runs out of steam at 1440p and 2160p though, so we would recommend only using it for 1080p gaming. While the GPU is limited in that sense, it outperforms the GTX 1650 to an even greater extent than it does in synthetic benchmarks as our tables below demonstrate.

Our review unit closes the gap to the GTX 1660 Ti too, although please keep in mind that we tested the latter on a slower test system. Conversely, our Polaris generation comparison GPUs struggle to keep pace with the XLR8 Gaming OC. Even the XFX RX 590 falls short of our review unit, which is rather surprising. Only Navi GPUs outperform the XLR8 Gaming OC of our AMD comparison cards, but these are significantly more expensive than PNY's offering.

In short, the XLR8 Gaming OC offers good gaming performance. The card can even handle the latest triple-A games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, GRID (2019) or Need for Speed Heat in 1080p. Meanwhile, less resource-intensive titles like FIFA 20 can even be played at 2160p.

We also looked at how the card performs under sustained load by running The Witcher 3 on the ultra preset at 1080p for an hour. As the graph below demonstrates, the built-in cooler keeps the GPU cool enough to maintain peak performance over prolonged periods. Our review unit only fluctuated between 54 and 59 FPS during this test, so you should not notice any performance drops in long gaming sessions. Frame times were nothing of note either.

The Witcher 3: Frame rates – ultra preset

PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X: Ø56.4 (54-59)

Forza Horizon 4 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:2xMS
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R9 3900X	149 fps ∼100% +52%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R7 2700X	138 fps ∼93% +41%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R7 2700X	118 fps ∼79% +20%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R7 2700X	110 fps ∼74% +12%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	98 fps ∼66%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X	97 fps ∼65% -1%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R7 2700X	91 fps ∼61% -7%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R7 2700X	75 fps ∼50% -23%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X	65 fps ∼44% -34%

Far Cry 5 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R9 3900X	110 (min: 85, max: 145) fps ∼100% +34%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R7 2700X	99 (min: 75, max: 131) fps ∼90% +21%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R7 2700X	96 (min: 75, max: 127) fps ∼87% +17%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X	91 (min: 78, max: 105) fps ∼83% +11%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R7 2700X	84 (min: 59, max: 114) fps ∼76% +2%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	82 (min: 73, max: 93) fps ∼75%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R7 2700X	74 (min: 67, max: 88) fps ∼67% -10%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R7 2700X	65 (min: 58, max: 79) fps ∼59% -21%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X	56 (min: 50, max: 66) fps ∼51% -32%

The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R9 3900X	94 (min: 86, max: 103) fps ∼100% +69%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R7 2700X	92 (min: 79, max: 99) fps ∼98% +66%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R7 2700X	80 (min: 70, max: 87) fps ∼85% +44%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R7 2700X	79 (min: 67, max: 89) fps ∼84% +42%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X	62 (min: 43, max: 74) fps ∼66% +12%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	55.5 (min: 50, max: 63) fps ∼59%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R7 2700X	50.8 (min: 42, max: 57) fps ∼54% -8%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X	43 (min: 37, max: 47) fps ∼46% -23%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R7 2700X	43 (min: 37, max: 47) fps ∼46% -23%

Farming Simulator 19 - 1920x1080 Very High Preset
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X	119 (min: 99, max: 161) fps ∼100% +3%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R7 2700X	118 (min: 106, max: 156) fps ∼99% +2%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R7 2700X	116 (min: 101, max: 151) fps ∼97% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	116 (min: 93, max: 186) fps ∼97%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R7 2700X	94 (min: 76, max: 121) fps ∼79% -19%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X	76 (min: 60, max: 125) fps ∼64% -34%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R7 2700X	69 (min: 44, max: 117) fps ∼58% -41%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R7 2700X	56.1 (min: 43, max: 100) fps ∼47% -52%

Darksiders III - 1920x1080 Epic
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R7 2700X	121 (min: 52, max: 160) fps ∼100% +46%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R7 2700X	108 (min: 63, max: 126) fps ∼89% +30%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R7 2700X	103 (min: 49, max: 123) fps ∼85% +24%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X	93 (min: 64, max: 104) fps ∼77% +12%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R7 2700X	88 (min: 60, max: 103) fps ∼73% +6%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	83 (min: 61, max: 94) fps ∼69%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R7 2700X	68.2 (min: 50, max: 76) fps ∼56% -18%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X	55.8 (min: 48, max: 63) fps ∼46% -33%

Apex Legends - 1920x1080 Maximum Settings AA:TS AF:16x
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R7 2700X	144 (min: 143, max: 145) fps ∼100% +30%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R7 2700X	144 (min: 143, max: 145) fps ∼100% +30%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R7 2700X	142 (min: 136, max: 145) fps ∼99% +28%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X	112 (min: 104, max: 126) fps ∼78% +1%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	111 (99th percentile: 93.5) fps ∼77%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R7 2700X	96 (min: 88, max: 110) fps ∼67% -14%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R7 2700X	77 (min: 71, max: 91) fps ∼53% -31%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X	67 (min: 56, max: 78) fps ∼47% -40%

Far Cry New Dawn - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R9 3900X	97 (min: 69, max: 147) fps ∼100% +21%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R7 2700X	85 (min: 63, max: 134) fps ∼88% +6%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X	84 (min: 65, max: 110) fps ∼87% +5%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R7 2700X	83 (min: 60, max: 132) fps ∼86% +4%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	80 (min: 64, max: 96) fps ∼82%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R7 2700X	79 (min: 58, max: 120) fps ∼81% -1%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R7 2700X	76 (min: 58, max: 102) fps ∼78% -5%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R7 2700X	66 (min: 49, max: 86) fps ∼68% -17%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X	55 (min: 44, max: 67) fps ∼57% -31%

Metro Exodus - 1920x1080 Ultra Quality AF:16x
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R7 2700X	61 (min: 36.09, max: 86.1) fps ∼100% +61%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R7 2700X	58.9 (min: 32, max: 92) fps ∼97% +55%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R7 2700X	58.6 (min: 32.67, max: 85.8) fps ∼96% +54%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X	42.7 (min: 24, max: 66) fps ∼70% +12%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	38 (min: 22, max: 57) fps ∼62%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R7 2700X	37.9 (min: 21, max: 58) fps ∼62% 0%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R7 2700X	31.7 (min: 18, max: 49) fps ∼52% -17%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X	25.4 (min: 15, max: 38) fps ∼42% -33%

The Division 2 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R7 2700X	88 (min: 30.2, 99th percentile: 50) fps ∼100% +49%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R7 2700X	85 fps ∼97% +44%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R7 2700X	78 (min: 14.6, 99th percentile: 42.2) fps ∼89% +32%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X	70 fps ∼80% +19%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R7 2700X	60 fps ∼68% +2%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	59 fps ∼67%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R7 2700X	44 fps ∼50% -25%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X	39 fps ∼44% -34%

Anno 1800 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics Quality (DX11)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R9 3900X	45 (min: 37, max: 58) fps ∼100% +29%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R7 2700X	40.9 (min: 35, max: 53) fps ∼91% +17%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R7 2700X	40.3 (min: 30, max: 55) fps ∼90% +15%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R7 2700X	38.9 (min: 33, max: 48) fps ∼86% +11%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X	35.9 (min: 32, max: 41) fps ∼80% +3%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	34.9 (min: 32, max: 40) fps ∼78%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X	26.3 (min: 23, max: 29) fps ∼58% -25%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R7 2700X	25.1 (min: 23, max: 27) fps ∼56% -28%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R7 2700X	23.3 (min: 21, max: 25) fps ∼52% -33%

Rage 2 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset (Resolution Scale Off)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R7 2700X	104 (99th percentile: 65.1) fps ∼100% +46%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R7 2700X	103 (99th percentile: 94.3) fps ∼99% +45%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R7 2700X	71 (99th percentile: 60.9) fps ∼68% 0%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	71 (99th percentile: 57.5) fps ∼68%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R7 2700X	58.8 (99th percentile: 52.1) fps ∼57% -17%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X	43.7 (99th percentile: 38.1) fps ∼42% -38%

F1 2019 - 1920x1080 Ultra High Preset AA:T AF:16x
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R9 3900X	152 (min: 129, max: 171) fps ∼100% +85%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R7 2700X	140 (min: 120, max: 156) fps ∼92% +71%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R7 2700X	124 (min: 107, max: 140) fps ∼82% +51%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R7 2700X	121 (min: 108, max: 136) fps ∼80% +48%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R7 2700X	86 (min: 77, max: 98) fps ∼57% +5%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	82 (min: 71, max: 92) fps ∼54%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R7 2700X	72 (min: 65, max: 80) fps ∼47% -12%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X	52 (min: 42, max: 64) fps ∼34% -37%

Rocket League - 1920x1080 High Quality AA:High FX
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R7 2700X	244 (min: 206, max: 252) fps ∼100% +33%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R7 2700X	242 (min: 207, max: 252) fps ∼99% +32%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R7 2700X	230.2 (min: 192, max: 252) fps ∼94% +26%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R7 2700X	205 (min: 151, max: 228) fps ∼84% +12%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	183 (min: 147, max: 246) fps ∼75%

X-Plane 11.11 - 1920x1080 high (fps_test=3)
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	93 fps ∼100%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R7 2700X	77 fps ∼83% -17%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R9 3900X	57.1 fps ∼61% -39%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R7 2700X	48.1 fps ∼52% -48%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R7 2700X	47 fps ∼51% -49%

Shadow of the Tomb Raider - 1920x1080 Highest Preset AA:T
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R9 3900X	114 fps ∼100% +58%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R7 2700X	110 fps ∼96% +53%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R7 2700X	96 fps ∼84% +33%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R7 2700X	90 fps ∼79% +25%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X	76.7 fps ∼67% +7%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	72 fps ∼63%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R7 2700X	66 fps ∼58% -8%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R7 2700X	55.1 fps ∼48% -23%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X	44 fps ∼39% -39%

FIFA 20 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:4xMS
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R9 3900X	284 (99th percentile: 204.1) fps ∼100% +19%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R9 3900X	282 (99th percentile: 208.3) fps ∼99% +18%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R9 3900X	266 (99th percentile: 196.1) fps ∼94% +11%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R9 3900X	248 (99th percentile: 178.6) fps ∼87% +4%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	239 (99th percentile: 175.4) fps ∼84%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R9 3900X	234 (99th percentile: 172.4) fps ∼82% -2%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R9 3900X	184 (99th percentile: 140.8) fps ∼65% -23%

Control - 1920x1080 High Quality Preset (DX11)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R9 3900X	83 (min: 72, max: 95) fps ∼100% +58%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R9 3900X	80 (min: 70, max: 91) fps ∼96% +52%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R9 3900X	73 (min: 63, max: 83) fps ∼88% +39%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	52.5 (min: 45, max: 60) fps ∼63%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R9 3900X	48.3 (min: 42, max: 56) fps ∼58% -8%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R9 3900X	40.2 (min: 34, max: 46) fps ∼48% -23%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R9 3900X	33.3 (min: 28, max: 39) fps ∼40% -37%

Borderlands 3 - 1920x1080 Badass Overall Quality (DX11)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R9 3900X	71.7 fps ∼100% +46%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R9 3900X	68.7 fps ∼96% +40%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R9 3900X	66.7 fps ∼93% +36%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	49 fps ∼68%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R9 3900X	42.1 fps ∼59% -14%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R9 3900X	35.2 fps ∼49% -28%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R9 3900X	30.1 fps ∼42% -39%

Ghost Recon Breakpoint - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R9 3900X	80 (min: 35, max: 125) fps ∼100% +63%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R9 3900X	71 (min: 24, max: 106) fps ∼89% +45%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R9 3900X	68 (min: 36, max: 104) fps ∼85% +39%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	49 (min: 30, max: 69) fps ∼61%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R9 3900X	46 (min: 34, max: 67) fps ∼58% -6%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R9 3900X	45 (min: 35, max: 75) fps ∼56% -8%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R9 3900X	8 (min: 4, max: 34) fps ∼10% -84%

GRID 2019 - 1920x1080 Ultra High Preset
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R9 3900X	96 (99th percentile: 61.3) fps ∼100% +43%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R9 3900X	91 (99th percentile: 55.9) fps ∼95% +36%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R9 3900X	90 (99th percentile: 59.5) fps ∼94% +34%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	67 (99th percentile: 47.2) fps ∼70%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R9 3900X	64 (99th percentile: 42.7) fps ∼67% -4%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R9 3900X	47.1 (99th percentile: 31.8) fps ∼49% -30%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R9 3900X	43.1 (99th percentile: 32.9) fps ∼45% -36%

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019 - 1920x1080 Maximum Settings AA:T2X Filmic SM
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R9 3900X	112 (99th percentile: 83.3) fps ∼100% +42%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R9 3900X	109 (99th percentile: 82) fps ∼97% +38%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R9 3900X	95 (99th percentile: 69.9) fps ∼85% +20%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	79 (99th percentile: 62.5) fps ∼71%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R9 3900X	76 (99th percentile: 54.1) fps ∼68% -4%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R9 3900X	64 (99th percentile: 49) fps ∼57% -19%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R9 3900X	51.7 (99th percentile: 40) fps ∼46% -35%

Need for Speed Heat - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R9 3900X	92 (min: 76, max: 107) fps ∼100% +31%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R9 3900X	88 (min: 74, max: 99) fps ∼96% +26%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R9 3900X	88 (min: 74, max: 103) fps ∼96% +26%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X	70 (min: 57, max: 78) fps ∼76%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R9 3900X	60 (min: 55, max: 67) fps ∼65% -14%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R9 3900X	48.4 (min: 38, max: 56) fps ∼53% -31%

	low	med.	high	ultra	QHD	4K
The Witcher 3 (2015)	282	181	99	55.5		34.9	fps
Dota 2 Reborn (2015)	163.7	152.4	145.9	136.7		85.9	fps
Rocket League (2017)	249	249	183		129	81	fps
X-Plane 11.11 (2018)	127	114	93			79	fps
Far Cry 5 (2018)	142	95	87	82	57	29	fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018)	152	92	80	72	47	23	fps
Forza Horizon 4 (2018)	200	132	123	98	76	50	fps
Farming Simulator 19 (2018)	242	190	153	116	80	41.9	fps
Darksiders III (2018)	196	115	96	83	54.5	18.8	fps
Apex Legends (2019)	144	144	114	111	77	43.6	fps
Far Cry New Dawn (2019)	132	92	87	80	58	31	fps
Metro Exodus (2019)	118	61	45	38	29	19	fps
The Division 2 (2019)	185	103	82	59	40	21	fps
Anno 1800 (2019)	94	92	69	34.9	23.6	14	fps
Rage 2 (2019)	168	83	71	71	45.3	21.7	fps
Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019)	237.8	98.2	60.6	42	25.8		fps
F1 2019 (2019)	261	142	123	82	64	38	fps
Control (2019)	198	70	52.5		31.6	15.8	fps
Borderlands 3 (2019)	143	91	61	49	34	14	fps
FIFA 20 (2019)	265	262	241	239	202	127	fps
Ghost Recon Breakpoint (2019)	114	73	67	49	34	17	fps
GRID 2019 (2019)	160	119	97	67	51.4	31.9	fps
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019 (2019)	159	112	90	79	56.8	31.6	fps
Need for Speed Heat (2019)	111	89	79	70	49.5	23	fps
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order (2019)		112	90	81	53.1	26.4	fps
Red Dead Redemption 2 (2019)	130	73	49.1	30.9	24.7		fps
Escape from Tarkov (2020)	121	121	93.2	79.2	47.6	23.9	fps
Hunt Showdown (2020)	211	82.1	64.8		39.7	19.8	fps
Doom Eternal (2020)	257	138	121	115	71.7	38.2	fps
Gears Tactics (2020)	297.9	141.7	92	61.9	43	22.8	fps

Emissions - Noisy, but no coil whine

PNY has set the TDP of the XLR8 Gaming OC at 120 W, the same as the GTX 1660 Ti has. Nevertheless, the latter offers better performance per watt because of its higher volume of shader and texture units. Having GDDR6 VRAM instead of GDDR5 helps the GTX 1660 Ti pull away from the GTX 1660 too.

Our test system consumes just under 80 W when idling, a value that increases to 248 W under sustained load. Incidentally, PNY allows the power target (PT) of the GPU to be increased to 107%, which results in a peak TDP of 128.4 W. We confirmed this during our tests, while our test system peaked at 258 W under load too.

We encountered no temperature issues with the XLR8 Gaming OC during our tests. Core temperatures peaked at 76 °C even with its PT set to 107%, although the PCB reached 86 °C. This is still within safe limits, though. Reducing the PT to 100% resulted in temperatures dropping to 80 °C on the back of the PCB too.

Additionally, the GPU fan runs more quietly when at 100% PT, but our review unit always run comparatively loudly. We did not hear any coil whine during our tests, though.

Heat map of the PNY GeForce GTX 1660 XLR8 Gaming OC during a stress test (PT 100%)

Heat map of the PNY GeForce GTX 1660 XLR8 Gaming OC during a stress test (PT 107%)

Power consumption of our test system at idle

Power consumption of our test system during a FurMark PT 100% stress test

Power consumption of our test system during a FurMark PT 107% stress test

Power consumption of our test system while playing The Witcher 3 on the ultra preset

System information during a FurMark PT 100% stress test

System information during a FurMark PT 107% stress test

Power Consumption
1280x720 FurMark 1.19 GPU Stress Test - Power Consumption (external Monitor)
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R9 3900X (Idle: 85.9 W)	371.7 (min: 360, max: 388) Watt * ∼100% -50%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R7 2700X	357.5 (min: 347, max: 383) Watt * ∼96% -44%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R9 3900X (Idle: 83.2 W)	352.1 (min: 346, max: 377) Watt * ∼95% -42%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R7 2700X (239 fps, Idle: 69.8 W)	326.56 (min: 313, max: 351) Watt * ∼88% -32%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R9 3900X (Idle: 85.5 W)	322.8 (min: 309, max: 347) Watt * ∼87% -30%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R9 3900X (Idle: 86.7 W)	312 (min: 306, max: 328) Watt * ∼84% -26%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R7 2700X (Idle: 72.61 W)	308.92 (min: 301, max: 338) Watt * ∼83% -25%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R9 3900X (Idle: 77.9 W)	297.3 (min: 292, max: 316) Watt * ∼80% -20%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X (Idle: 74.66 W)	295.2 (min: 148, max: 331) Watt * ∼79% -19%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R7 2700X (237 fps, Idle: 77.12 W)	281.4 (min: 275, max: 321) Watt * ∼76% -14%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R7 2700X (207 fps, Idle: 64.5 W)	280.49 (min: 271, max: 312) Watt * ∼75% -13%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X (Idle: 79.88 W)	247.84 (min: 242, max: 282) Watt * ∼67%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X (Idle: 68.3 W)	233.2 (min: 226, max: 250) Watt * ∼63% +6%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R9 3900X (Idle: 82.4 W)	202.5 (min: 200, max: 213) Watt * ∼54% +18%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X (Idle: 64.63 W, Idle: 64.63 W)	183 (min: 178, max: 187) Watt * ∼49% +26%
1920x1080 The Witcher 3 Power Consumption (external Monitor) ultra
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R9 3900X (Idle: 83.2 W)	376.4 (min: 373, max: 382) Watt * ∼100% -51%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R9 3900X (Idle: 85.9 W)	358.9 (min: 351, max: 370) Watt * ∼95% -44%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT (Desktop), R7 2700X (Idle: 69.8 W)	348.71 (min: 341, max: 359) Watt * ∼93% -40%
XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 OC+ 8 GB Radeon RX 590, R7 2700X	346.9 (min: 326, max: 364) Watt * ∼92% -40%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R9 3900X (Idle: 86.7 W)	331 (min: 322, max: 344) Watt * ∼88% -33%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R9 3900X (Idle: 77.9 W)	317.5 (min: 313, max: 326, 99th percentile: 216) Watt * ∼84% -28%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R9 3900X (Idle: 85.5 W)	300.2 (min: 284, max: 311) Watt * ∼80% -21%
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop), R7 2700X (82.7 fps, Idle: 77.12 W)	298.2 (min: 293, max: 322) Watt * ∼79% -20%
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Radeon RX 5700 (Desktop), R7 2700X (84.2 fps, Idle: 64.5 W)	295.9 (min: 284, max: 304) Watt * ∼79% -19%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X (Idle: 74.66 W)	288.8 (min: 284, max: 299) Watt * ∼77% -16%
Sapphire NITRO+ RX 570 8 GB Radeon RX 570, R7 2700X (Idle: 72.61 W)	273.96 (min: 268, max: 300) Watt * ∼73% -10%
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 GeForce GTX 1660 (Desktop), R9 3900X (Idle: 79.88 W)	248.63 (min: 240, max: 259) Watt * ∼66%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop), R7 2700X (Idle: 68.3 W)	235.5 (min: 232, max: 269) Watt * ∼63% +5%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R9 3900X (Idle: 82.4 W)	203.9 (min: 199, max: 215) Watt * ∼54% +18%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X (Idle: 64.63 W)	178.87 (min: 176, max: 192) Watt * ∼48% +28%

* ... smaller is better

Pros

+ powerful enough for 1080p gaming

+ adequate cooler

+ compact enough for small PC builds

+ high boost clock

+ moderate power consumption

+ reasonably priced

Cons

- single fan runs loud under load

- hardly any overclocking potential

- lower performance per watt than the GTX 1660 Ti

Verdict - An affordable and compact alternative for 1080p gaming

The PNY GeForce GTX 1660 XLR8 Gaming OC Desktop GPU review

Anyone who has a budget of around 250 Euros (~$276) for a new graphics card will stumble upon a GeForce GTX 1660 sooner or later. The PNY GeForce GTX 1660 XLR8 Gaming OC can handle all modern titles in at least 1080p and at maximum graphics. While the card is capable of playing some games like FIFA 20 at 2160p, the GTX 1660 offers worse performance per watt than the GTX 1660 Ti. This is to be expected though, as the two cards share the same TDP, but the GTX 1660 Ti has the edge in many other specifications.

The PNY GeForce GTX 1660 XLR8 Gaming OC costs approximately 225 Euros (~$249) at the time of writing, and it should fit in most compact PC builds. Its 6 GB of VRAM does not hold the card back either, as our review unit held its own against the AMD Radeon RX 570, which has an additional 2 GB of VRAM.

If you are undecided about the XLR8 Gaming OC, then it is worth keeping in mind that the card is not the quietest on the market. We can even hear our review unit whirring away in a closed case, so we would recommend buying a dual-fan version if you are intent on having a quiet build.

The PNY GeForce GTX 1660 XLR8 Gaming OC offers excellent value for money. However, it falls short of the performance per watt that the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti offers.

Overall, we liked the performance that the PNY GeForce GTX 1660 XLR8 Gaming OC offers. NVIDIA almost has a free run currently as AMD has not brought any new affordable GPUs to market. While this may change soon, Polaris cards remain the only alternatives to NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 16 series. AMD has its Radeon RX 5700 series, but these are priced in a different league to the GTX 16 series and are designed for 1440p gaming.