GTX 1660 vs RTX 4070 Max-Q
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | GTX 1660 | RTX 4070 Max-Q | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 1,760 | 8,159 | -78.4% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 31 | 74 | -58.1% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 17 | 45 | -62.2% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 9 | 25 | -64.0% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 5.0 | 20.4 | -75.3% |
| VRAM | 6 GB GDDR5 | 12 GB GDDR6X | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 168 | 504 | -66.7% |
| TDP (W) | 120 | 90 | — |
- RTX 4070 Max-Q averages 45 fps at 1440p versus 17 fps — about 62% faster.
- RTX 4070 Max-Q draws less power (90W vs 120W).
Verdict: GTX 1660 or RTX 4070 Max-Q?
GTX 1660 advantages
- No decisive advantage on the tracked metrics.
RTX 4070 Max-Q advantages
- 1440p gaming (+62%)
- 4K gaming (+64%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+78%)
- Video memory (+50%)
- Memory bandwidth (+67%)
- Power efficiency (+25%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the RTX 4070 Max-Q if you game at 1440p.
GTX 1660 vs RTX 4070 Max-Q: which should you choose?
GTX 1660 — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2019, Turing) with 6 GB of GDDR5, averaging 17 fps at 1440p; launched at $219.
RTX 4070 Max-Q — NVIDIA laptop graphics card (2023, Ada Lovelace) with 12 GB of GDDR6X, averaging 45 fps at 1440p.
GTX 1660 vs RTX 4070 Max-Q: RTX 4070 Max-Q is faster for gaming. RTX 4070 Max-Q averages 45 fps at 1440p versus 17 fps — about 62% faster. RTX 4070 Max-Q draws less power (90W vs 120W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the RTX 4070 Max-Q averages 45 fps against 17. At 4K (9 vs 25 fps) VRAM (6GB vs 12GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
Power and value
Board power is 120 W versus 90 W, which affects PSU headroom, case cooling and noise.
The verdict
Both are credible choices in the graphics card comparison space; the specification table above lays out every metric so you can weigh the trade-offs that matter to you. Pick the one whose strengths line up with how you will actually use it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GTX 1660 better than the RTX 4070 Max-Q?
RTX 4070 Max-Q is the clearly stronger overall choice, winning most of the dimensions that matter. RTX 4070 Max-Q averages 45 fps at 1440p versus 17 fps — about 62% faster.
What is the main difference between the GTX 1660 and the RTX 4070 Max-Q?
RTX 4070 Max-Q averages 45 fps at 1440p versus 17 fps — about 62% faster. RTX 4070 Max-Q draws less power (90W vs 120W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the RTX 4070 Max-Q if you game at 1440p.
Methodology
Graphics cards are compared on 3DMark Time Spy scores, average gaming frame rates at 1080p/1440p/4K, FP32 compute throughput, VRAM capacity and type, memory bandwidth, board power (TDP) and launch MSRP — plus AI workload throughput (Stable Diffusion iterations/s and local LLM tokens/s) where measured. Vintage and server GPUs without modern benchmark results are compared on specifications only, clearly labelled. Frame rates are averages across a game suite at high settings; specific titles vary.