MS305 GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC: Review & Performance

Nov 13, 2025 by Alex Braham 56 views

Let's dive into the MS305 GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC, a graphics card that packs a punch in a small form factor. This card is designed for gamers and content creators who need a reliable and efficient GPU without breaking the bank. We're going to break down its features, performance, and overall value to help you decide if it's the right fit for your needs. So, let's get started, guys!

Overview of the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC

The GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC is built on NVIDIA's Turing architecture, which brings significant improvements in performance and efficiency compared to its predecessors. The "Super" variant of the GTX 1660 line offers a substantial boost over the original GTX 1660, thanks to faster GDDR6 memory. This makes it a sweet spot for 1080p gaming and even some 1440p scenarios, depending on the game settings. The "Ventus XS" part of the name refers to MSI's cooler design, which is compact and designed to fit into smaller cases while still providing adequate cooling. The "OC" at the end indicates that this card comes with a factory overclock, meaning it's already tuned to run at higher speeds out of the box. This gives you a bit of extra performance without having to tweak settings yourself. The card typically features a single fan design, making it ideal for small form factor builds where space is at a premium. Despite its size, it incorporates heat pipes and a decent-sized heatsink to dissipate heat effectively. This ensures that the card remains stable and performs optimally even during extended gaming sessions. Performance-wise, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC excels in delivering smooth frame rates in popular titles at 1080p resolution. Games like Fortnite, Overwatch, and Apex Legends run exceptionally well, often hitting frame rates above 100fps with high settings. Even more demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Assassin's Creed Valhalla are playable at medium settings, providing a balanced experience between visual quality and performance. Content creators can also benefit from this card, as it offers decent performance in tasks like video editing and rendering. While it's not a powerhouse like the RTX series, it's still capable of handling these tasks efficiently, especially for smaller projects. Overall, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC is a well-rounded card that offers a great balance of performance, size, and price, making it a popular choice for budget-conscious gamers and creators.

Key Features and Specifications

When we talk about the key features of the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC, it's essential to dive into the specifics that make this card stand out. First and foremost, the Turing architecture is a game-changer. Unlike the RTX series with its ray tracing and DLSS capabilities, the GTX 1660 Super focuses on delivering excellent raw performance without the added cost. The 12nm manufacturing process ensures better power efficiency and higher clock speeds compared to older architectures. One of the most significant upgrades over the original GTX 1660 is the GDDR6 memory. The GTX 1660 Super comes with 6GB of GDDR6 memory clocked at 14 Gbps, offering a substantial bandwidth increase. This faster memory significantly improves performance in memory-intensive tasks and games, allowing for smoother frame rates and better overall responsiveness. The Ventus XS cooler is another notable feature. Designed for small form factor builds, this cooler uses a single fan and a compact heatsink to dissipate heat effectively. Despite its size, it manages to keep the card running cool and quiet, even under load. The cooler also includes heat pipes that directly contact the GPU die, further enhancing cooling performance. The factory overclock provides a modest performance boost out of the box. This means the card is pre-tuned to run at higher clock speeds than the reference GTX 1660 Super, giving you extra performance without needing to overclock manually. This is particularly useful for users who want a hassle-free experience. In terms of specifications, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC features 1408 CUDA cores, which are the building blocks of NVIDIA GPUs. These cores handle the parallel processing tasks required for rendering graphics and running compute applications. The base clock speed is around 1530 MHz, with a boost clock speed of approximately 1785 MHz, although this can vary slightly depending on the specific model and thermal conditions. The card has a TDP (Thermal Design Power) of 125W, meaning it requires a relatively modest power supply. A good quality 450W PSU should be more than sufficient for most systems. Connectivity options typically include DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0b ports, allowing you to connect multiple monitors or high-resolution displays. Overall, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC combines a powerful feature set with a compact design, making it an excellent choice for gamers and content creators looking for a balance of performance and affordability.

Performance Benchmarks

Let's get into the performance benchmarks of the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC. This is where we see how the card truly performs in real-world gaming scenarios. We'll look at several popular games and synthetic benchmarks to give you a comprehensive overview of its capabilities. In gaming benchmarks, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC shines at 1080p resolution. In Fortnite, with high settings, you can expect to see frame rates well above 100fps, often hovering around 120-140fps. This makes for a buttery-smooth gaming experience, especially on high refresh rate monitors. Overwatch also performs exceptionally well, with similar frame rates at high settings. Competitive gamers will appreciate the responsiveness and fluidity this card provides. Even in more demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC holds its own. At medium settings, you can achieve playable frame rates of around 40-50fps. While it's not the highest possible visual fidelity, it's still a respectable experience, especially considering the game's hardware requirements. Assassin's Creed Valhalla is another challenging game, but the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC manages to deliver around 45-55fps at medium settings. Lowering the settings slightly can push the frame rates closer to 60fps for smoother gameplay. For those interested in synthetic benchmarks, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC scores well in tests like 3DMark Fire Strike and 3DMark Time Spy. In Fire Strike, it typically achieves a score of around 12,000 to 13,000, while in Time Spy, it scores around 5,000 to 5,500. These scores indicate that the card is well-suited for 1080p gaming and can handle some 1440p scenarios as well. It's important to note that these benchmarks can vary slightly depending on the system configuration, including the CPU, RAM, and storage devices. However, they provide a good baseline for comparing the performance of the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC to other cards. In terms of overclocking, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC has some headroom for improvement. By increasing the core clock and memory clock speeds, you can squeeze out a bit of extra performance. However, it's essential to monitor temperatures and ensure that the card remains stable. Overclocking can provide a few extra frames per second, but it's not a massive boost. Overall, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC delivers excellent performance for its price point, making it a great choice for gamers looking for a budget-friendly option that can handle 1080p gaming with ease.

Cooling and Noise

When it comes to cooling and noise, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC strikes a reasonable balance, considering its compact size. The Ventus XS cooler is designed to provide adequate cooling without taking up too much space, making it suitable for small form factor builds. The single-fan design incorporates heat pipes and a decent-sized heatsink to dissipate heat effectively. Under normal gaming conditions, the card typically maintains temperatures in the range of 65-75°C. This is well within the safe operating range and indicates that the cooler is doing its job effectively. However, during extended gaming sessions or under heavy load, temperatures can creep up slightly, but they generally remain below 80°C. One of the trade-offs of the single-fan design is that it can get a bit noisy under load. The fan needs to spin faster to maintain cooling performance, which can result in noticeable fan noise. However, the noise levels are generally acceptable and not overly distracting. Many users find that the noise is masked by the sound of their game or headset. In comparison to other cards with larger coolers, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC is definitely louder. However, it's also more compact, making it a better fit for smaller cases where space is limited. If noise is a major concern, you might want to consider a card with a dual-fan or triple-fan cooler, but be prepared to sacrifice some space. The thermal paste and contact between the cooler and the GPU die also play a crucial role in cooling performance. MSI generally uses decent quality thermal paste, which helps to transfer heat efficiently. The heat pipes make direct contact with the GPU die, further enhancing heat dissipation. In terms of overclocking, it's essential to monitor temperatures closely. Overclocking can generate more heat, which can push the cooler to its limits. If you plan to overclock the card, make sure to keep an eye on temperatures and adjust fan speeds accordingly. Some users also choose to replace the thermal paste with a higher quality aftermarket paste to improve cooling performance. Overall, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC provides adequate cooling for its size, but it can get a bit noisy under load. If you prioritize quiet operation, you might want to consider a different card. However, if you're building a small form factor PC and need a compact cooler, the Ventus XS is a good option.

Price and Value

Now, let's talk about price and value. The GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC has always been positioned as a budget-friendly option, offering a great balance of performance and affordability. When it was first released, it was priced competitively against other cards in its class, making it an attractive choice for gamers on a budget. However, the GPU market has been quite volatile in recent years, with prices fluctuating due to supply chain issues and increased demand. As a result, the price of the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC has varied significantly. In some cases, it has been difficult to find at its original MSRP, with prices inflated due to limited availability. Despite these fluctuations, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC still offers excellent value for its performance. It's capable of handling 1080p gaming with ease, and it can even handle some 1440p scenarios with adjusted settings. Compared to newer cards in the market, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC may not offer the same level of performance, but it's still a viable option for gamers who don't want to spend a fortune. It's also worth considering the used market. You can often find GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC cards at discounted prices, making them an even better value. However, it's essential to do your research and ensure that the card is in good condition before purchasing it. When evaluating the value of the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC, it's important to consider its target audience. This card is ideal for gamers who want a smooth 1080p gaming experience without breaking the bank. It's also a good option for content creators who need a reliable GPU for video editing and rendering. Compared to integrated graphics, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC offers a significant performance boost, making it a worthwhile upgrade for many users. It's also more power-efficient than some of the higher-end cards, which can save you money on your electricity bill. Overall, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC offers excellent value for its price, especially if you can find it at or near its original MSRP. It's a great choice for budget-conscious gamers and content creators who want a reliable and affordable GPU.

Pros and Cons

To give you a clear picture, let's break down the pros and cons of the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC. This will help you weigh the advantages and disadvantages before making a decision.

Pros:

Excellent 1080p Performance: The GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC excels at 1080p gaming, delivering smooth frame rates in most titles. This makes it a great choice for gamers who want a fluid and responsive gaming experience.
Compact Size: The Ventus XS cooler is designed for small form factor builds, making it easy to fit into smaller cases. This is a significant advantage for users who are building compact PCs.
Affordable Price: The GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC is priced competitively, offering excellent value for its performance. This makes it an attractive option for budget-conscious gamers.
GDDR6 Memory: The 6GB of GDDR6 memory provides a significant bandwidth increase over the original GTX 1660, resulting in improved performance in memory-intensive tasks and games.
Factory Overclocked: The card comes with a factory overclock, providing a modest performance boost out of the box. This is convenient for users who want extra performance without having to overclock manually.

Cons:

No Ray Tracing or DLSS: Unlike the RTX series, the GTX 1660 Super does not support ray tracing or DLSS. This may be a drawback for users who want to experience these advanced features.
Single-Fan Cooler: The single-fan cooler can get a bit noisy under load. This may be a concern for users who prioritize quiet operation.
Limited Overclocking Headroom: The card has limited overclocking headroom, meaning you can't squeeze out a massive performance boost through overclocking.
Availability and Price Fluctuations: The price and availability of the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC have been inconsistent in recent years due to supply chain issues and increased demand.
Not Ideal for 1440p Gaming: While the card can handle some 1440p scenarios, it's not ideal for gaming at this resolution. You may need to lower settings to achieve playable frame rates.

Overall, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC is a solid choice for gamers who want a budget-friendly option that can handle 1080p gaming with ease. However, it's important to consider its limitations, such as the lack of ray tracing and the noisy cooler, before making a decision.

Final Verdict

So, what's the final verdict on the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC? This card has proven to be a reliable and efficient option for gamers and content creators looking for a balance between performance and price. Its strengths lie in its ability to deliver a smooth 1080p gaming experience, its compact size that fits well in small form factor builds, and its affordability, making it accessible to a wide range of users. The GDDR6 memory is a significant upgrade over the original GTX 1660, providing a noticeable boost in performance, especially in memory-intensive games. The factory overclock is a nice touch, giving you a bit of extra performance without the hassle of manual tweaking. However, it's essential to acknowledge the card's limitations. The lack of ray tracing and DLSS support means you'll miss out on these advanced features, which are becoming increasingly common in newer games. The single-fan cooler, while adequate, can get a bit noisy under load, which may be a concern for those who prioritize quiet operation. The limited overclocking headroom means you won't be able to squeeze out a significant performance boost through overclocking. Despite these drawbacks, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC remains a compelling option for its target audience. If you're a gamer who primarily plays at 1080p and doesn't need the latest bells and whistles, this card will serve you well. It's also a good choice for content creators who need a reliable GPU for video editing and rendering, especially for smaller projects. In conclusion, the GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC is a well-rounded card that offers excellent value for its price. It's a great choice for budget-conscious gamers and content creators who want a reliable and affordable GPU. While it may not be the most powerful card on the market, it's still a solid performer that can handle most tasks with ease. If you can find it at a reasonable price, it's definitely worth considering. So go for it, guys! You won't be disappointed!