Let's dive deep into the MS305 GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC, a graphics card that packs a punch in a compact form factor. If you're looking for an upgrade without breaking the bank or needing a massive power supply, this card might just be what you need. In this article, we'll explore its key features, performance benchmarks, and overall value proposition.

Overview of the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC

The GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC from MSI is designed for gamers who want a solid 1080p gaming experience without the hefty price tag of high-end GPUs. It's built on NVIDIA's Turing architecture, which provides a great balance of performance and efficiency. The 'XS' in the name indicates that this is a smaller card, making it ideal for compact PC builds where space is a premium.

The card features a single fan cooling solution, which helps to keep the card cool under load. The OC stands for 'overclocked', meaning it comes with a factory overclock, giving you a slight performance boost out of the box. This is great for those who don't want to mess around with manual overclocking but still want a little extra juice. The GTX 1660 Super is equipped with 6GB of GDDR6 memory, a significant upgrade over the original GTX 1660, providing better bandwidth and improved gaming performance. It supports features like NVIDIA Ansel for in-game photography and NVIDIA G-Sync for smoother, tear-free gaming when paired with a compatible monitor. The card also has a sleek, understated design that should fit well in most PC builds. The MSI Ventus XS OC is a solid choice for gamers looking for a reliable and affordable graphics card that can handle modern games at 1080p with respectable settings. It's also a good option for those building a smaller form factor PC where space is limited. The factory overclock provides a small performance boost, and the GDDR6 memory ensures smooth gameplay. While it may not be the most powerful card on the market, it offers excellent value for its price.

Key Features and Specifications

When we talk about the MS305 GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC, understanding its specifications is crucial. This card is powered by NVIDIA's Turing architecture, which brings with it a host of benefits. It features 1408 CUDA cores, which are the workhorses that handle the graphics processing. The base clock speed is around 1530 MHz, but with the factory overclock, it boosts to approximately 1785 MHz. This boost clock ensures that you get a little extra performance right out of the box without having to tweak any settings yourself.

One of the standout features of the GTX 1660 Super is its 6GB of GDDR6 memory. This is a significant upgrade over the older GDDR5 memory found in the original GTX 1660. GDDR6 provides much higher bandwidth, which translates to faster loading times, smoother gameplay, and better overall performance, especially in more demanding games. The memory clock speed is typically around 14 Gbps, offering plenty of bandwidth for textures and assets. The Ventus XS OC card uses a single-fan cooling solution, which is designed to keep the card cool while maintaining a smaller form factor. The fan is designed to maximize airflow and minimize noise, providing a good balance of cooling performance and acoustics. The card also supports NVIDIA's advanced features such as Ansel, which allows you to take professional-grade in-game photos, and G-Sync, which synchronizes the refresh rate of your monitor with the GPU to eliminate screen tearing and reduce input lag. The MS305 GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC supports DirectX 12, ensuring compatibility with the latest games and future updates. It also supports OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan API, providing flexibility for developers and gamers alike. The card requires a single 8-pin power connector and has a typical power consumption of around 125W, making it relatively efficient and compatible with a wide range of power supplies. The output options include DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0b, allowing you to connect to a variety of monitors and displays. Overall, the specifications of the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC make it a well-rounded card for 1080p gaming, offering a good balance of performance, features, and efficiency.

Performance Benchmarks

Now, let's get to the juicy part: the performance benchmarks of the MS305 GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC. This is where we see how the card performs in real-world gaming scenarios. Keep in mind that performance can vary based on your system configuration, including your CPU, RAM, and the game settings you use. However, these benchmarks should give you a good idea of what to expect.

In most modern games at 1080p resolution with high settings, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC can deliver frame rates between 60 and 90 FPS. For example, in a game like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, you can expect around 60-70 FPS on high settings. In Cyberpunk 2077, which is a more demanding title, you might see frame rates closer to 50-60 FPS on medium to high settings. For less demanding games like Fortnite or Overwatch, the card can easily push frame rates well above 100 FPS, providing a smooth and responsive gaming experience. When compared to the original GTX 1660, the Super variant offers a noticeable performance improvement, thanks to its faster GDDR6 memory. You can expect to see anywhere from a 15% to 20% increase in frame rates, which can make a significant difference in gameplay. The GTX 1660 Super also performs well in older titles, often achieving frame rates well above 100 FPS, even at higher settings. This makes it a great option for gamers who want to enjoy both new and classic games. In terms of synthetic benchmarks, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC typically scores well in tests like 3DMark Time Spy and Fire Strike. These benchmarks provide a standardized way to compare the performance of different GPUs and can be useful for troubleshooting or overclocking. When overclocking the GTX 1660 Super, you can potentially squeeze out even more performance, although the Ventus XS OC is already factory overclocked. However, with proper cooling, you may be able to push the clocks a bit further, resulting in even higher frame rates. Overall, the performance benchmarks of the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC show that it is a capable card for 1080p gaming, offering a good balance of performance and affordability. It can handle most modern games at respectable settings and provides a smooth and enjoyable gaming experience.

Cooling and Noise

Let's talk about cooling and noise levels, which are critical aspects of any graphics card. The MS305 GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC features a single-fan cooling solution, designed to keep the card running cool without generating too much noise. In general, the Ventus XS OC does a decent job of managing temperatures. Under typical gaming loads, you can expect the card to reach temperatures in the range of 70-75 degrees Celsius. This is well within the safe operating range for GPUs, and the card should not experience any thermal throttling or performance issues at these temperatures.

The single-fan design is relatively efficient at dissipating heat, but it's not the most aggressive cooling solution on the market. If you plan to overclock the card further, you may want to consider improving the cooling with a custom fan profile or even an aftermarket cooler. In terms of noise, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC is reasonably quiet. At idle or during light workloads, the fan spins at a low RPM, making it virtually silent. Under heavy gaming loads, the fan speed increases, and you will start to hear it, but it's generally not obtrusive. The noise level is comparable to other single-fan cards in its class. Of course, the noise level can also depend on your case airflow and ambient temperature. If your case has poor airflow, the card may need to work harder to stay cool, resulting in higher fan speeds and more noise. Similarly, if you live in a hot environment, the card may run hotter and louder. One of the advantages of the single-fan design is that it helps to keep the card compact, making it suitable for smaller PC cases. However, the trade-off is that it may not be as effective at cooling as larger, dual-fan or triple-fan cards. If you prioritize silence above all else, you may want to consider a different card with a more robust cooling solution. Overall, the cooling and noise performance of the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC is adequate for most users. It keeps the card running at safe temperatures without generating excessive noise. However, if you plan to overclock the card or live in a hot environment, you may want to take extra steps to improve the cooling.

Pros and Cons

Let's break down the pros and cons of the MS305 GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC to give you a clear picture of its strengths and weaknesses.

Pros:

• Excellent 1080p Performance: The GTX 1660 Super is a powerhouse for 1080p gaming, delivering smooth frame rates in most modern titles at high settings.
• Affordable Price: It offers a great balance of performance and price, making it an excellent choice for budget-conscious gamers.
• Compact Size: The 'XS' in the name indicates its smaller form factor, making it ideal for compact PC builds.
• Factory Overclocked: The 'OC' means it comes with a factory overclock, providing a slight performance boost out of the box.
• GDDR6 Memory: The 6GB of GDDR6 memory offers improved bandwidth and better gaming performance compared to the original GTX 1660.
• NVIDIA Features: It supports NVIDIA Ansel for in-game photography and NVIDIA G-Sync for smoother, tear-free gaming.

Cons:

• Single-Fan Cooling: The single-fan cooling solution may not be as effective as dual-fan or triple-fan designs, especially when overclocking.
• Limited Overclocking Potential: While it's factory overclocked, there may not be much headroom for further manual overclocking.
• Not Ideal for 1440p or 4K Gaming: While it can handle some games at 1440p, it's not the best choice for higher resolutions or demanding titles.
• No Ray Tracing: It doesn't support NVIDIA's ray tracing technology, which is available on higher-end RTX cards.

Overall, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC is a solid choice for gamers looking for a reliable and affordable graphics card that can handle modern games at 1080p with respectable settings. It's also a good option for those building a smaller form factor PC where space is limited. The factory overclock provides a small performance boost, and the GDDR6 memory ensures smooth gameplay. While it may not be the most powerful card on the market, it offers excellent value for its price.

Alternatives to Consider

If the MS305 GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC doesn't quite fit your needs or budget, here are a few alternatives to consider. Each of these cards offers a different balance of performance, features, and price, so you can choose the one that best suits your requirements.

1. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050: This is a newer card that offers similar performance to the GTX 1660 Super but with the added benefit of ray tracing and DLSS support. If you want to experience these advanced features, the RTX 3050 is a great option. It typically costs a bit more than the GTX 1660 Super, but the extra features may be worth it for some gamers.
2. AMD Radeon RX 6600: The RX 6600 is another strong competitor in this price range. It offers comparable performance to the RTX 3050 and GTX 1660 Super, and it also supports AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) technology, which is similar to NVIDIA's DLSS. The RX 6600 is a good choice if you prefer AMD graphics cards or want to take advantage of FSR.
3. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti: This card is slightly more powerful than the GTX 1660 Super but typically costs a bit more. If you can find it at a reasonable price, it's a good alternative that offers a bit more performance for 1080p gaming.
4. AMD Radeon RX 570: This is an older card but still a viable option for budget gamers. It offers decent 1080p performance and is usually available at a lower price than the GTX 1660 Super. However, it's less efficient and may require a more powerful power supply.
5. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060: While it's an older card, the RTX 2060 offers similar performance to the RTX 3050 and includes ray tracing and DLSS support. It might be available at a discounted price, making it an attractive option for gamers who want these features without breaking the bank.

When choosing an alternative, consider your budget, the games you want to play, and the features that are most important to you. All of these cards are capable of delivering a good gaming experience at 1080p, so it's really a matter of personal preference and availability.

Final Verdict

So, what's the final verdict on the MS305 GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC? This card offers a compelling package for gamers looking for a solid 1080p gaming experience without breaking the bank. Its compact size makes it a great fit for smaller PC builds, and the factory overclock provides a nice little performance boost right out of the box. The GTX 1660 Super delivers smooth frame rates in most modern games at high settings, and the 6GB of GDDR6 memory ensures that you won't run into any memory-related bottlenecks. While the single-fan cooling solution may not be the most robust, it does a decent job of keeping the card cool and quiet under typical gaming loads. The GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC is an excellent choice for budget-conscious gamers who want a reliable and capable graphics card. It's also a good option for those building a smaller form factor PC where space is limited. The factory overclock provides a small performance boost, and the GDDR6 memory ensures smooth gameplay. While it may not be the most powerful card on the market, it offers excellent value for its price. If you're looking for a card that can handle 1440p or 4K gaming, or if you want to experience ray tracing and DLSS, you may want to consider a higher-end option like the RTX 3060 or RX 6700 XT. However, for 1080p gaming, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC is hard to beat.