Never heard of Palit? They're an interesting brand that usually adds something to the reference design. The 9600Gt I bought has HDMI, display port, DVI and SPDIF. It also uses 3 phase power instead of the standard 2 phase. Thought to increase stability. I think Palit makes cool cards and they have a decent rep as far as I know. Asus does have a better warranty. The 8800GT is more powerful than the 9600GT. Though the 9600GT is usually a bit cheaper. Depending on you rig, you may not need the 8800GT. What are the rest of your specs? Monitor size and resolution?