The GTX 1660 Super Is Still Alive and Kicking
The GTX 1660 Super might not be the newest graphics card on the market, but it still has plenty of life left for modern gaming. If you are gaming at 1080p and you are not chasing ultra settings in every title, this GPU can deliver a smooth and enjoyable experience at a fraction of the cost of new hardware.
That is what makes an $8.40 Goodwill find so impressive. In a world where used graphics card prices can still be unreasonably high, picking up a 1660 Super for under ten dollars is not just lucky. It is an amazing value compared to most secondhand deals.
Even years after its launch, the 1660 Super sits in a sweet spot for budget builds. It avoids the huge power draw of older high end cards and skips the pricing premium of newer GPUs, yet it can still handle popular games with good settings and frame rates.
What the GTX 1660 Super Can Still Do
The GTX 1660 Super is based on Nvidia’s Turing architecture and slots in as a strong mid range card for 1080p gaming. It does not support dedicated ray tracing cores like the RTX lineup, but for many players that is not a deal breaker. Most competitive and casual gamers care far more about stable frame rates than fancy lighting effects.
In real world use, a healthy 1660 Super can still manage:
- Esports titles like Valorant, League of Legends, Counter Strike 2 and Fortnite at high settings with high frame rates at 1080p
- Story focused AAA games on medium to high settings at 1080p, often aiming for 60 frames per second with some tweaks
- Older or less demanding games easily maxed out at 1080p
It also pairs well with mainstream CPUs without causing major bottlenecks. A mid range Ryzen or Intel Core chip from the last few generations is enough to let this GPU stretch its legs. For budget builders, that makes it easy to reuse an older system and only upgrade the component that matters most for gaming performance.
Power requirements are also pretty reasonable. Many 1660 Super cards only need a single 8 pin power connector and a decent 450 to 550 watt power supply. That is great news for anyone trying to revive an older prebuilt or office PC and turn it into a gaming machine without replacing half the parts.
Why an $8.40 Find Is Such a Huge Win
The real story here is the price. The used market for GPUs has cooled off since the peak of crypto mining, but even today you would usually expect to pay far more than $8.40 for a working GTX 1660 Super.
On common secondhand marketplaces these cards often sell for many times that amount. Even if you find a deal from a local seller, paying under twenty dollars is extremely rare unless the card is untested or obviously faulty.
That is why a Goodwill price tag of $8.40 is such a standout bargain. You are getting real gaming performance for less than the cost of a fast food meal. If the card is fully functional and has not been abused thermally, it can power an entire budget gaming setup all on its own.
For someone building or upgrading a low cost gaming PC, that kind of deal can be the difference between being stuck on integrated graphics and actually enjoying modern games. Instead of saving for months to afford a new GPU, a lucky thrift store or charity shop find can instantly unlock 1080p gaming.
There are a few important things to keep in mind with any ultra cheap secondhand GPU:
- Always test the card thoroughly with a mix of games and stress tools to check for crashes, artifacts or overheating
- Clean the card, replace thermal paste if needed and make sure the fans spin smoothly
- Confirm that power connectors and PCIe contacts are in good condition with no burns or corrosion
If it passes those checks, a card like the 1660 Super can easily keep going for years in a well ventilated case.
For budget gamers and PC builders, this story is a reminder that you do not always need the latest GPU to have fun. Smart shopping, a bit of patience and a willingness to check secondhand sources can land you solid hardware at incredible prices. The GTX 1660 Super may not top benchmarks in 2025, but for just a few dollars it is one of the best value upgrades you could hope to find.
Original article and image: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/savvy-pc-builder-finds-geforce-gtx-1660-super-for-just-usd8-40-at-thrift-store-goodwill-purchase-comes-with-6gb-of-vram-for-1080p-gaming-still-sells-for-up-to-usd100
