AMD Ryzen 5 3600 + GeForce GTX 1660 Super Bottleneck at 1080p, 1440p and 4K
A bottleneck estimate for pairing the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 with the GeForce GTX 1660 Super, built from our gaming-performance scores and broken down by resolution — plus what it means for your build.
Quick Summary
At 1080p (Full HD), the resolution this card is built for, the GeForce GTX 1660 Super sets the frame rate, which is normal for gaming: the graphics card is fully used and the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 has about 30% of spare headroom. For higher frame rates here, a faster graphics card is what helps; a faster CPU would not. Across all three resolutions our estimate is GPU-limited at 1080p (~30% CPU headroom), GPU-limited at 1440p (~57% CPU headroom) and GPU-limited at 4K (~60%+ CPU headroom).
Estimate only: this bottleneck estimate is a simplified model meant to guide your decision, not a lab-measured result. Real-world numbers vary by brand, drivers, cooling, game engine and settings.
Change the game type or settings in the Bottleneck Calculator
CPU & GPU Specifications
AMD Ryzen 5 3600
- Cores / Threads: 6 / 12
- Base / Boost Clock: 3.6 GHz / 4.2 GHz
- TDP: 65W
- Socket: AM4
- Generation: Zen 2 (3000 Series)
GeForce GTX 1660 Super
- VRAM: 6 GB GDDR6
- Memory Bus: 192-bit
- Boost Clock: 1785 MHz
- TDP: 125W
- Recommended PSU: 450W+
Sources: manufacturer specifications for AMD Ryzen 5 3600, GeForce GTX 1660 Super.
New to these specs? Read what CPU cores, clocks and TDP mean, how a graphics card works, what 6GB of VRAM is for and how PSU ratings work.
Full specs, other pairings and PSU advice for each part: the Ryzen 5 3600 page and the GTX 1660 Super page.
Bottleneck Estimate by Resolution
| Resolution | Estimate | Likely Limiting Part |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | GPU-limited, normal (30% CPU headroom) | GeForce GTX 1660 Super (GPU) |
| 1440p (QHD) | GPU-limited, normal (57% CPU headroom) | GeForce GTX 1660 Super (GPU) |
| 4K (UHD) | GPU-limited, normal (60%+ CPU headroom) | GeForce GTX 1660 Super (GPU) |
How to read this: a CPU bottleneck % is the share of the graphics card left idle (under 6% balanced, 6–14% mild, 15–29% noticeable, 30%+ severe). GPU-limited is normal; there the % is spare CPU headroom. Typical AAA game, high settings (how we estimate).
1080p (Full HD): At 1080p (Full HD), the GeForce GTX 1660 Super sets the frame rate, which is normal for gaming: the graphics card is fully used and the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 has about 30% of spare headroom. For higher frame rates here, a faster graphics card is what helps; a faster CPU would not.
1440p (QHD): At 1440p (QHD), the GeForce GTX 1660 Super sets the frame rate, which is normal for gaming: the graphics card is fully used and the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 has about 57% of spare headroom. For higher frame rates here, a faster graphics card is what helps; a faster CPU would not.
4K (UHD): At 4K (UHD), the GeForce GTX 1660 Super sets the frame rate, which is normal for gaming: the graphics card is fully used and the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 has more than 60% of spare headroom. For higher frame rates here, a faster graphics card is what helps; a faster CPU would not.
Ryzen 5 3600 + GTX 1660 Super by Game Type
Even in esports and CPU-heavy games the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 keeps up with the GeForce GTX 1660 Super at 1080p, so the graphics card sets the frame rate in every game type below.
| Game type | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Typical AAA games
e.g. Grand Theft Auto V: Enhanced, Cyberpunk 2077 and Call of Duty: Warzone |
GPU-limited | GPU-limited | GPU-limited |
|
Esports games
e.g. Apex Legends, League of Legends and Valorant |
GPU-limited | GPU-limited | GPU-limited |
|
CPU-heavy games
e.g. Baldur's Gate 3 and Minecraft: Java Edition |
Balanced | GPU-limited | GPU-limited |
High settings throughout. Game types are rough classes, not per-game benchmarks: the linked pages list each game’s official requirements (all games we cover).
Recommended Settings & Upgrade Path
The GeForce GTX 1660 Super sets the frame rate in this pairing, which is the normal case for gaming. If you want more FPS before considering a GPU upgrade, lowering shadow quality, ambient occlusion and render resolution scale typically helps more than any other settings on a GPU-bound system.
Also worth checking before you upgrade anything:
Verdict
By this page’s estimates, none of the three resolutions is a clean fit for the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 + GeForce GTX 1660 Super. For 1080p, 1440p and 4K the GeForce GTX 1660 Super sits below the GPU level our PC Upgrade Calculator looks for.
The GeForce GTX 1660 Super sets the frame rate at 1440p while the CPU still has headroom, so a faster graphics card is the upgrade that adds the most FPS. If you want a stronger 1440p setup, the smallest step up among current cards in our database that uses most of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600’s headroom at 1440p (under 15% left) is the Radeon RX 9060 XT (16GB), which our engine rates as a noticeable CPU bottleneck at 1080p (~24%), GPU-limited at 1440p (~14% CPU headroom) and GPU-limited at 4K (~49% CPU headroom).
Other Graphics Cards with the AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Every AMD Ryzen 5 3600 pairing we have a page for, weakest card first, with the same estimate engine as above. Of the graphics cards we pair with the AMD Ryzen 5 3600, the GeForce RTX 4060 is the closest match at 1440p (GPU-limited at 1440p (~31% CPU headroom)). This page’s GeForce GTX 1660 Super is GPU-limited at 1440p (~57% CPU headroom).
| Graphics card | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 1660 Super (this page) | GPU-limited | GPU-limited | GPU-limited |
| Radeon RX 6600 | GPU-limited | GPU-limited | GPU-limited |
| GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB) | Balanced | GPU-limited | GPU-limited |
| GeForce RTX 4060 | CPU ~6% | GPU-limited | GPU-limited |
Other CPUs with the GeForce GTX 1660 Super
Every GeForce GTX 1660 Super pairing we have a page for, weakest CPU first. Even the least powerful CPU here, the AMD Ryzen 5 3600, does not hold the GeForce GTX 1660 Super back by 15% or more at 1080p; our engine rates that pair as GPU-limited at 1080p (~30% CPU headroom).
| Processor | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (this page) | GPU-limited | GPU-limited | GPU-limited |
| Intel Core i5-12400F | GPU-limited | GPU-limited | GPU-limited |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 fast enough for the GeForce GTX 1660 Super?
Yes, by our bottleneck estimate. The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is not the limiting part at 1080p, 1440p or 4K with the GeForce GTX 1660 Super: the pairing is GPU-limited at 1080p (~30% CPU headroom), GPU-limited at 1440p (~57% CPU headroom) and GPU-limited at 4K (~60%+ CPU headroom), so the processor isn’t what holds frame rates back in most games. These are estimates from our gaming-performance scores, not benchmark results.
Is 6GB of VRAM enough for the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 + GeForce GTX 1660 Super?
Our GPU VRAM Calculator’s guideline is about 6GB at 1080p, 8GB at 1440p and 12GB at 4K for high textures, 2GB more for ultra, and about 2GB more again for ray tracing. The GeForce GTX 1660 Super’s 6GB covers high textures at 1080p, but ultra textures call for more at every resolution. Those are minimums; for comfortable headroom in newer games our VRAM guide suggests about 8GB at 1080p, 12GB at 1440p and 16GB at 4K. This card is below it at every resolution, so expect to lower texture quality in some newer games.
Can I upgrade from the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 without changing the motherboard?
Yes, within AM4. The strongest gaming CPU on that socket in our database is the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D; our engine rates it with the GeForce GTX 1660 Super as GPU-limited at 1080p (~58% CPU headroom), GPU-limited at 1440p (~60%+ CPU headroom) and GPU-limited at 4K (~60%+ CPU headroom), compared with GPU-limited at 1080p (~30% CPU headroom), GPU-limited at 1440p (~57% CPU headroom) and GPU-limited at 4K (~60%+ CPU headroom) for the AMD Ryzen 5 3600. Check your motherboard’s CPU support list first, as an older board may need a BIOS update. AM4 boards take DDR4 only.
What power supply does the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 + GeForce GTX 1660 Super need?
Our PSU Calculator, with its default extras (2 RAM sticks, 2 drives, 3 fans, no overclock), estimates about 294W under load for this pair and recommends at least a 450W power supply. That counts the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 at its 88W maximum boost power (65W TDP) and the GeForce GTX 1660 Super at 125W; NVIDIA’s own recommendation for the card is 450W. Pick 80+ Bronze or better, with a separate PCIe cable for each power plug on the card.