compare true magnifications...if it's 6.5 vs 8.5, either way, 7 vs. 9 isn't much, but if you're hunting out west and wishing you had a 12 or 14.5x scope then I'd much rather have a 9x than a 7x, really depends on what you plan to hunt, and where, etc...

I had a 2-7x I replaces with a 4-14x, had I had a 3-9x on there originally I may have never replaced it but for wide open out west 7x left me wanting more on those long shots.

My choice would be the 3-9x without knowing anything else.