Nvidia 8800GTS 640mb vs 9800GT 512mb

I'm looking for what runs better between the:

Nvidia 8800GTS 640mb vs 9800GT 512mb

The 8800GTS I'm specifying is the original one that was released when the GTX and GTS were introduced.

I know the 9800GT is a re-branded 8800GT, but I believe that some tweaks were also made to them.

From what I read the 8800GT generally out performed the 8800GTS, but not at higher graphics settings.

So I'm wondering, if my info is correct, did the re-branding of the 8800GT into the 9800GT fix any of the issues that caused the 8800GTS to out perform it at higher settings?

I had the 8800GTS before, but it got fried. My mate got me a 9800GT and said that it was better than my old one.

The main game that I have for comparison is Lord of the Rings Online. My 8800GTS had no problems running this game on it's max graphics settings, my 9800GT however can't run it at the same settings.

The game's graphics scale go from normal, to high, very high, and ultra high. My 8800GTS ran it on Ultra High with very little drop in performance. My 9800GT has to run it on high to get the same performance. If I boost the settings any more I start getting massive choppiness and stuttering.

Now it might seem obvious that this should say that the previous card runs the game better, however between the old card dying and getting the new one, the game released it's new expansion, Mines of Moria.

So I don't know if the difference in performance is due to a difference in the cards or a difference in game versions....

Any input would be greatly appreciated. ^_^