# MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ventus XS 6 GB



## W1zzard (Apr 9, 2019)

The MSI GTX 1660 Ventus XS is MSI's answer for people looking to maximize cost efficiency. Priced at the NVIDIA MSRP of $220, the card offers much better price/performance than AMD's RX 590 and even RX 580. Also included is an overclock out of the box and a backplate.

*Show full review*


----------



## Fluffmeister (Apr 9, 2019)

Great little card, I do like MSI's Ventus range and this 1660 is no exception. This card packs nice performance whilst sipping power, and again a 15%+ overclock too.

Looks like a winner.


----------



## jabbadap (Apr 9, 2019)

Fluffmeister said:


> Great little card, I do like MSI's Ventus range and this 1660 is no exception. This card packs nice performance whilst sipping power, and again a 15%+ overclock too.
> 
> Looks like a winner.



Well yeah sure it's a good card, but all Ventus cards are quite hideous by the looks. I prefer old Armor look over it.


----------



## Caring1 (Apr 9, 2019)

jabbadap said:


> Well yeah sure it's a good card, but all Ventus cards are quite hideous by the looks. I prefer old Armor look over it.


Looks are subjective, I like the look of Ventus and thought the Armor were hideous.
Doesn't really matter as the MSI Gaming X beats this card in O.C. Temps, and Noise.


----------



## natr0n (Apr 9, 2019)

MSI has a bad habbit of always leaving a few chips uncooled.


----------



## letho (Apr 9, 2019)

natr0n said:


> MSI has a bad habbit of always leaving a few chips uncooled.


asus as well


----------



## notb (Apr 9, 2019)

Caring1 said:


> Doesn't really matter as the MSI Gaming X beats this card in O.C. Temps, and Noise.


Gaming X is long.


----------



## bug (Apr 9, 2019)

I wonder why you keep saying "no support for RTX or DLSS". Now that support for these is (about to be) open all the way down Pascal cards, I believe you should reword that.
I'm pretty sure we're not talking about usable level of performance here, but still, support is technically there.

And more on topic, I'm a little bummed about the noise. Is that a feature of the entire XS line?


----------



## syrup (Apr 9, 2019)

Good to see a lower-end variant being sent out for review. Looking for info on the 2070 Ventus recently led to a very vague and confused picture because there were no decent reviews of it, but heaps of great yet redundant reviews of the more expensive 2070 variants.


----------



## Caring1 (Apr 10, 2019)

notb said:


> Gaming X is long.


That only matters in an mItx case.


----------



## kastriot (Apr 10, 2019)

Well it seems that RX 590 loses with actual pricing,  nice review BTW.


----------



## jabbadap (Apr 10, 2019)

bug said:


> I wonder why you keep saying "no support for RTX or DLSS". Now that support for these is (about to be) open all the way down Pascal cards, I believe you should reword that.
> I'm pretty sure we're not talking about usable level of performance here, but still, support is technically there.
> 
> And more on topic, I'm a little bummed about the noise. Is that a feature of the entire XS line?



DXR sure but not DLSS, that needs tensor cores which 16 -series lacks.


----------



## bug (Apr 10, 2019)

jabbadap said:


> DXR sure but not DLSS, that needs tensor cores which 16 -series lacks.


You're right, of course.


----------



## ltkAlpha (Apr 11, 2019)

Okay, so it "could be quieter", it's the hottest running card out of all reviewed so far, it's power locked and has a plastic backplate (?!) and you give it an Editor's Choice Award, because it's ... cheap? Cool.


----------



## W1zzard (Apr 11, 2019)

ltkAlpha said:


> because it's ... cheap?


Yup. 

Why do you want a metal backplate? What actual effect does 60°C vs 76°C have?


----------



## ltkAlpha (Apr 11, 2019)

I don't care about backplates, unless they help w/ structural stability or thermals (in combination w/ thermal pads). A plastic one only helps with optics (arguably) and it actively worsens cooling, which in my book is a minus. The actual effect of better cooling would be minimal in practice, granted, but a fair way to summarize the particular result would be "the worst cooling of any 1660 we've tested despite the dual fan config", so again - a hardly a pro. So, the way I see it, you have a list of "adequate" marks on one side and only price on the other (and that matches MSRP, so "adequate" again, maybe?). I'd expect a part presented with an Editor's Choice award from a reputable tech site to delight in some way, whereas the model in question just passes muster, hence the comment.


----------



## Casecutter (Apr 11, 2019)

ltkAlpha said:


> Okay, so it "could be quieter", it's the hottest running card out of all reviewed so far, it's power locked and has a plastic backplate (?!) and you give it an Editor's Choice Award, because it's ... cheap? Cool.


No it's not cheap... well only in cost of components!  

Sure it's '_*Gussied up*_' and looks like something, but hardly a value! They give it a lubb of aluminum extrusion with one heat-pipe pinched into it, the PCB is as lackluster, as are the two fans and all that translate in to the ugliest load temps/fan noise by a huge margin.  The 12 nm "TU116" silicon is a nice part, but MSI is skimping hard on value because they can. 

At least the Zotac GTX 1660 Twin Fan 6 Gb has a real fin-stack 2 heat pipe cooler, what appear to be a more competent PCB, and run much cooler and less noise, all for $220.  That got an Editors Choice this MSI Ventus isn't that.


----------

