RX 6500 XT vs GTX 660 Max-Q
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | RX 6500 XT | GTX 660 Max-Q | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 2,423 | 486 | +398.6% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 36 | 23 | +56.5% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 20 | 12 | +66.7% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 11 | 6 | +83.3% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 5.8 | 1.4 | +315.1% |
| VRAM | 4 GB GDDR6 | 2 GB GDDR5 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 112 | 168 | -33.3% |
| TDP (W) | 107 | 63 | — |
- RX 6500 XT averages 20 fps at 1440p versus 12 fps — about 67% faster.
- GTX 660 Max-Q draws less power (63W vs 107W).
Verdict: RX 6500 XT or GTX 660 Max-Q?
RX 6500 XT advantages
- 1440p gaming (+40%)
- 4K gaming (+45%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+80%)
- Video memory (+50%)
GTX 660 Max-Q advantages
- Memory bandwidth (+33%)
- Power efficiency (+41%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the RX 6500 XT if you game at 1440p.
- Choose the GTX 660 Max-Q if you work with high-resolution textures or memory-bound workloads.
- Choose the RX 6500 XT if you game at 4K or drive a high-resolution display.
RX 6500 XT vs GTX 660 Max-Q: which should you choose?
RX 6500 XT — AMD desktop graphics card (2022, RDNA 2) with 4 GB of GDDR6, averaging 20 fps at 1440p; launched at $199.
GTX 660 Max-Q — NVIDIA laptop graphics card (2012, Kepler) with 2 GB of GDDR5, averaging 12 fps at 1440p.
RX 6500 XT vs GTX 660 Max-Q: RX 6500 XT is faster for gaming. RX 6500 XT averages 20 fps at 1440p versus 12 fps — about 67% faster. GTX 660 Max-Q draws less power (63W vs 107W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the RX 6500 XT averages 20 fps against 12. At 4K (11 vs 6 fps) VRAM (4GB vs 2GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
Power and value
Board power is 107 W versus 63 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 RX 6500 XT better than the GTX 660 Max-Q?
RX 6500 XT takes the overall edge, though GTX 660 Max-Q wins in specific areas worth weighing. RX 6500 XT averages 20 fps at 1440p versus 12 fps — about 67% faster.
What is the main difference between the RX 6500 XT and the GTX 660 Max-Q?
RX 6500 XT averages 20 fps at 1440p versus 12 fps — about 67% faster. GTX 660 Max-Q draws less power (63W vs 107W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the RX 6500 XT if you game at 1440p. Choose the GTX 660 Max-Q if you work with high-resolution textures or memory-bound workloads.
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.