The GeForce GTX 1660 is a mid-range Turing card with 6 GB of memory and a high-quality NVENC encoder. It is a solid choice for cloud gaming, streaming and emulators, and it can run small AI models.
In this 2026 guide we cover the GeForce GTX 1660’s specs, what it can (and cannot) do today, where you can still rent it, and which GPU to choose instead if you need more power for AI.
Table of Contents
GeForce GTX 1660 Specifications
| Spec | GeForce GTX 1660 |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Turing (TU116), 2019 |
| CUDA cores | 1,408 |
| Memory | 6 GB GDDR5, 192-bit |
| FP32 performance | ~5 TFLOPS |
| TDP | 120 W |
| Video encoder | Turing NVENC |
Is the GeForce GTX 1660 Still Worth Renting in 2026?
Yes, for gaming, streaming and emulators. 6 GB of VRAM and Turing NVENC make it a good all-rounder, though for AI you will want more memory.
What it is good for
- 1080p cloud gaming
- OBS streaming and transcoding
- Multiple Android emulator instances
- Small AI models (4–8B LLMs in 4-bit)
AI workloads on the GeForce GTX 1660
Small AI models: 4B LLMs comfortably, 7–8B LLMs in 4-bit with short context, and Stable Diffusion 1.5 or SDXL with low-VRAM settings.
Best GeForce GTX 1660 Hosting Providers
1. GPU Mart
- Dedicated GPU servers and GPU VPS in US data centers
- Basic Dedicated GTX 1660 (6 GB), 16-core dual Xeon, 64 GB RAM
- Windows or Linux with full admin access
- Basic Dedicated GTX 1660 $139/mo
Pros
- Very low monthly prices
- Dedicated hardware, no noisy neighbours
- One-click AI apps (Ollama, Stable Diffusion)
Cons
- Monthly billing only
- US locations only
GPU Mart’s Basic Dedicated GTX 1660 costs $139/month with a 16-core dual-Xeon CPU and 64 GB of RAM.
2. Vast.ai
- Marketplace with 68+ GPU types
- Per-second billing, interruptible discounts
- Docker templates for AI and gaming workloads
- Market pricing: RTX 4090 from ~$0.30/hr · A100 80GB from ~$0.43/hr · interruptible 50%+ cheaper
Pros
- Often the cheapest hourly prices
- Huge choice of consumer GPUs
- No long-term commitment
Cons
- Quality varies by host
- Availability of older cards changes daily
On Vast.ai you can often find GTX 1660 and 1660 Super cards for a few cents per hour for short jobs.
GeForce GTX 1660 vs Alternatives (Monthly Prices)
If your workload needs more speed or VRAM, these are the closest upgrades available as hosted servers today:
| GPU | VRAM | From | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5060 (VPS) | 8 GB | $85/mo | Modern Blackwell GPU, good for small AI models |
| Quadro T1000 | 8 GB | $99/mo | Quiet workstation card, CAD |
| RTX A4000 (VPS) | 16 GB | $119/mo | Best value for Stable Diffusion and 14B LLMs |
| RTX 4060 | 8 GB | $149/mo | Efficient Ada GPU, DLSS 3 |
| RTX 3060 Ti | 8 GB | $179/mo | Strong for gaming and SD 1.5 |
How to Choose
- Match VRAM to your AI model. 8 GB for 7–8B LLMs, 16 GB for 14–24B, 24 GB for 27–32B, 48 GB for 70B in 4-bit.
- Hourly vs monthly. For tests and short jobs use RunPod or Vast.ai. For 24/7 use, compare the monthly total (hourly price × 730 hours) with a fixed-price monthly server from GPU Mart or HOSTKEY, which includes the whole machine, storage and bandwidth.
- Dedicated vs shared. Dedicated servers give stable performance; marketplace GPUs are cheaper but vary by host.
- Location. Pick EU hosting (HOSTKEY, OVHcloud) for GDPR-sensitive data.
FAQ
GPU Mart offers a dedicated GTX 1660 server from $139/month.
The RTX 4060 ($149/month) is much faster, supports DLSS and has 8 GB of VRAM, so it is the better buy for only $10 more.
Conclusion
The GTX 1660 is still a capable streaming and gaming GPU, but in 2026 the RTX 4060 ($149/month) and RTX 5060 VPS ($85/month) offer more for similar money. Compare plans at GPU Mart.
Prices were checked in September 2026 and change often. Always confirm current pricing on the provider’s website before you order.