GeForce 9800 S vs GRID K160Q

NVIDIA

GeForce 9800 S

2008Core: 500 MHz
Similar parts
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VS

GRID K160Q

2013Core: 745 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce 9800 S vs GRID K160Q Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce 9800 S vs GRID K160Q: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce 9800 S

2008

Why buy it

  • Draws 150W instead of 225W, a 75W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2008 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 20% HIGHER MSRP
    $150 MSRPvs$125 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.2 vs 5.0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $125 MSRP).

GRID K160Q

2013

Why buy it

  • Costs $25 less on MSRP ($125 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • Delivers 18.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.0 vs 4.2 G3D/$ ($125 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 50% higher power demand at 225W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce 9800 S is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.3% in PassMark G3D (636 vs 628), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce 9800 S is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GRID K160Q makes the most sense to buy today. It is $25 cheaper on MSRP at $125 vs $150, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 18.5% (5.0 vs 4.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GRID K160Q is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 9800 S has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 9800 S vs GRID K160Q Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce 9800 S

The GeForce 9800 S is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 15 2008. It features the G9x architecture. The core clock speed is 500 MHz. It has 224 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 636 points.

NVIDIA

GRID K160Q

The GRID K160Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 28 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 745 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 628 points. Launch price was $937.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 9800 S scores 636 and the GRID K160Q reaches 628 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 9800 S is built on G9x while the GRID K160Q uses Kepler, both on 65 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 9800 S) vs 1,536 (GRID K160Q).

FeatureGeForce 9800 SGRID K160Q
G3D Mark Score
636+1%
628
Architecture
G9x
Kepler
Process Node
65 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
224
1536+586%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 9800 S gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The GRID K160Q leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce 9800 SGRID K160Q
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce 9800 S and 64-bit on the GRID K160Q.

FeatureGeForce 9800 SGRID K160Q
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 9800 S draws 150W versus the GRID K160Q's 225W — a 40% difference. The GeForce 9800 S is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9800 S) vs 350W (GRID K160Q). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce 9800 SGRID K160Q
TDP
150W-33%
225W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
PCIe-powered
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
85°C
Perf/Watt
4.2+50%
2.8
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 9800 S came in at $150, while the GRID K160Q launched at $125. On MSRP, GRID K160Q was 16.7% cheaper ($25 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.2 (GeForce 9800 S) vs 5.0 (GRID K160Q) — the GRID K160Q offers 19% better value. The newer card here is GRID K160Q (2013 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce 9800 SGRID K160Q
MSRP
$150
$125-17%
Performance per Dollar
4.2
5.0+19%
Codename
NB9E-GTX
GK104
Release
July 15 2008
June 28 2013
Ranking
#825
#589

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