Is a 1660 Super Good for Minecraft?
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super is a popular mid-range graphics card that has generated a lot of interest in the gaming community. So, is it a good choice for playing Minecraft, one of the most popular sandbox games of all time? In this article, we’ll explore the gaming performance of the GTX 1660 Super and delve into its suitability for running Minecraft.
Ray Tracing and Minecraft
Real-time ray tracing is one of the key features that sets the GTX 1660 Super apart from previous generations of graphics cards. Minecraft, being a games that supports real-time ray tracing, can take full advantage of this technology to deliver more realistic graphics.
Yes, the 1660 Super can Support Ray Tracing in Minecraft
According to Nvidia, the GTX 1660 Super and other Turing-based GPUs, including the RTX GPUs, can support real-time ray tracing in Minecraft: Bedrock Edition. Minecraft’s ray tracing implementation was made possible by Nvidia and Microsoft, allowing for some amazing visual effects like:
• Global Illumination: Accurate lighting across the entire game world.
• Realistic water reflections: Reflective behavior of water surfaces.
• Improved terrain rendering: More detailed and realistic terrains.
Performance Numbers
So, how will the GTX 1660 Super perform in Minecraft with ray tracing enabled? Benchmarking results revealed that the 1660 Super can achieve around 60-70 FPS at 1080p, 1440p, and 2160p with ray tracing, medium to high graphics quality, and medium to low detail settings. Frames per second (FPS) are a measure of responsiveness and smoothness, giving you an idea of what to expect.
| FPS | 1080p | 1440p | 2160p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minecraft (Normal) | 100 | 80 | 40 |
| Minecraft (Ray Tracing On) | 60 | 40 | 15 |
Gaming Expectations
In terms of gaming expectations, the 1660 Super can meet the demands of Minecraft well, especially at lower detail settings. You can explore vast worlds, build majestic structures, and mine blocks with ease, without feeling the strain of low fps.
GTX 1660 Super Specifications and Comparison
Here are some key specifications of the GeForce GTX 1660 Super:
- CUDA Core Count: 1408
- Memory Bus Width: 128bits
- Memory Frequency: 1750 (effective)
- Tensor Cores: 232
- Ray-Tracing Cores: Not applicable (but still able to support ray tracing!)
Comparison to Other GPUs
To put the GTX 1660 Super’s capabilities into perspective, here is a comparison with other top-end GPUs:
| Graphics Card | CUDA Cores | Memory Bus Width |
|---|---|---|
| AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT | 2304 | 256bits |
| Nvidia GTX 1660 Super | 1408 | 128bits |
| Nvidia RTX 2070 Super | 2560 | 256bits |
Notice how the GTX 1660 Super lags slightly behind the RX 5700 XT in terms of CUDA core count and memory bus width, but matches the RTX 2070 Super’s performance prowess.
Conclusion
The GTX 1660 Super is a solid choice for playing Minecraft, and its ray tracing capabilities enhance the overall gameplay experience. With modest graphics settings, you should be able to achieve satisfactory performance and frame rates above 60 FPS in 1080p resolution. For higher graphics settings or higher resolutions 1440p and beyond, you may need to adjust the settings or seek a more powerful GPU solution.
In conclusion, is a 1660 Super good for Minecraft?** Yes, it is capable of delivering smooth and pleasing performance, even with modern features like ray tracing engaged.