While the GTX 1660Ti may be considered a lower-to-mid-ranged orientated series by NVIDIA… ASUS obviously did not get the memo. This shipping container is everything we have come to expect from their Republic of Gamers brand. Excellent, if a touch aggressive, aesthetics that are attention-getting and standout on a retail shelf. Excellent protection for the card nestled inside.
Even excellent amount of details on the back to make a decision a snap.
Just as with much, much more expensive STRIX models the interior of the shipping container has been broken into two sections. The top quarter is a large Styrofoam topper that contains most of the accessories while acting as a secondary protection layer for the card that is housed underneath it. The card itself is wrapped in an anti-static bag and then nestled into a veritable ton of form-fitting, high density foam. As such, we would have zero qualms about shipping this box all around the world, secure in the knowledge that it will arrive safe and sound no matter how badly the shipper treats it. Put simply, this is how all shipping containers should be designed… even mid-ranged priced cards.
The accessories which accompany the STRIX GTX 1660Ti 06G tick all the right boxes for a sub $350 card. In grand total you get two STRIX branded Velcro cable wraps (for decluttering your entire systems wire’s), a pamphlet, instruction manual, and a driver disc. There are no doorknob hangers or other goo-gaws included so if you really had your heart set on some ‘free swag’ that made the card cost more than it should… this is not the card you are looking for. The only thing missing, that would have made this a perfect accessories list, was dual 6-pin to single 8-pin power adapter. This however is not a deal breaker as most PSU comes with at least one, and if necessary this adapter is cheap and easy to find at most retailer or e-tailers.
ASUS famous GPU Tweak II software of course works seamlessly with this new series, though you should download the latest version (more on that in a moment). This application allows you to access all the low-level tweaks you will need to customize the STRIX GTX 1660Ti 06G. However, even those not interested in pushing the boundaries can still get a lot of benefits from it. With just a push of button you can instantly ‘shift gears’ and switch between ‘gaming’ (a moderate OC), performance (max factory overclocking), and silent mode. Better still you can even customize the card’s fan profile to make it perfect for your needs.
Honestly, this is a nifty little tool that can be set to overlay mode so that even when gaming you can keep an eye on frequencies, voltages, and temperatures. This will be of critical importance when deciding if an overclock is complete and stable… or not.
With the latest edition you can also instantly access NVIDIA’s ‘OC Scanner’ functions that will automatically overclock your card, test it, and retest it. While it will never get the same results as an experienced overclocker can… the results are worth the 20 to 30 minute wait.
As the STRIX GTX 1660Ti 06G is both RGB LED and AURA Sync enabled it should come as no surprise that ASUS’ Aura Lighting software is full compatible with it (albeit you will have to download the latest version for it to recognize this card).
