Gigabyte and Palit GeForce 9800 GT Face Off

Performance Summary:  Based solely on their benchmark results, the 9800 GT cards we tested didn't bring anything new to the table.  Both cards were able to handle the Radeon HD 3850 and HD 3870, but they only hung alongside the 8800s.  Comparing the Gigabyte and Palit cards head-to-head, the 1GB Palit card had a slight edge in a couple of tests, but more often than not the Gigabyte card finished slightly out in front.
 

Gigabyte GV-N98TZL-512H

Gigabyte stayed the course with the GV-N98TZL-512H.  Instead of overclocoking the card or increasing the size of its frame buffer, Gigabyte's focus was on providing a powerful, quieter cooling solution.  Performance at default clock speeds was in-line with expectations, although in direct comparison with Palit's Super 1+ GB it was typically the better performer of the two.  Overclocking was the real shining moment for Gigabyte.  Using GamerHUD, with its additional voltage settings made overclocking a quick, easy, and ultimately rewarding experience and we can't argue with 12% increases in frame rates. At about $140, the GV-N98TZL-512H is somewhat more expensive than some other 9800 GT cards, but it's excellent cooler and overclocking performance may make it worth the extra investment.

Palit GeForce 9800 GT Super+ 1GB

While the Palit GeForce 9800 GT Super+ 1GB and GV-N98TZL-512H had similar clock speeds, Palit's offering has double the frame buffer memory.  Unfortunately, that extra memory didn't equate to increased performance in any of our tests.  What we found was almost a dead heat between the two, with the slight advantage, however, almost always falling in Gigabyte's favor.  Throw in the tame overclocking results and the higher price point of the GeForce 9800 GT Super+ 1GB ($160) and it's a tough sell in light of the competition.