Rigol DHO924S vs Rigol DS1054Z
Head-to-head spec comparison to help you pick the right scope for your bench.
Rigol
$899
Rigol
$349
Spec-by-Spec Comparison
| Spec | Rigol DHO924S | Rigol DS1054Z |
|---|---|---|
| Bandwidth | 250 MHz | 50 MHz |
| Sample Rate | 1.25 GSa/s | 1 GSa/s |
| Channels | 4 | 4 |
| Memory Depth | 50 Mpts | 12 Mpts |
| Display Size | 7" | 7" |
| Weight | 3.8 kg | 3.2 kg |
| Price | $899 | $349 |
| Rating | 9.0/10 | 8.5/10 |
| Protocol Decoder | Yes | Yes |
| Function Gen | Yes | No |
| WiFi | Yes | No |
| Battery | No | No |
| Buy on Amazon | Buy on Amazon |
Pros & Cons
Rigol DHO924S
Pros
- 250MHz bandwidth with 4 channels for under $500 — exceptional value
- 7-inch IPS touchscreen with 1024x600 resolution — sharp and responsive
- 50Mpt memory depth for extended captures
- Built-in function generator and WiFi connectivity included
- Modern phone-like interface has almost no learning curve
- Protocol decoding for SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, and LIN
Cons
- 1.25GSa/s sample rate could be higher given the 250MHz bandwidth
- Newer platform means less community documentation than the DS1054Z
- Some early firmware bugs have been reported — check version before updating
- Fan can be audible in a quiet room
Rigol DS1054Z
Pros
- 4 channels for $349 — nearly every competitor at this price is 2-channel, making it the go-to pick when you need clock, data, enable, and ground all visible at once
- 12Mpt memory depth captures long protocol bursts that 1–2Mpt scopes miss — a full UART session at 115200 baud across hundreds of milliseconds stays in buffer without retriggering
- A well-documented firmware procedure unlocks 100MHz bandwidth from the stock 50MHz — the community has published step-by-step guides since 2015 and it takes under 10 minutes
- SPI, I2C, UART, and RS232 protocol decoding included with no upsell — some competitors charge extra license fees for the same decoders
- Ten years of community answers: searching 'DS1054Z + [your problem]' returns solved threads on EEVblog, r/AskElectronics, and YouTube before you finish typing
Cons
- 50MHz stock bandwidth can't cleanly capture SPI clocks above ~10MHz or RF signals — the firmware unlock helps, but it's still a soft ceiling
- Menu navigation is physical-button-only — no touchscreen, no scroll wheel; takes a few sessions to get fluent
- Interface looks dated next to modern touchscreen scopes; not a functional problem, but noticeable
- Anyone doing daily professional bench work should budget for the DHO924S — the touchscreen and 250MHz bandwidth are genuinely worth the extra $550 at that usage level
Our Verdicts
Rigol DHO924S
The Rigol DHO924S is the best hobbyist oscilloscope under $500 in 2026, and I say that having used the DS1054Z for years before switching. The 7-inch IPS touchscreen transforms the experience — pinch to zoom, tap to place cursors, swipe to scroll through captures — in a way that button-based scopes simply can't match. Add 250MHz bandwidth, 4 channels, 50Mpt memory, a function generator, WiFi, and CAN/LIN protocol decoding at $449, and it obsoletes the DS1054Z in every spec column except community documentation and proven long-term reliability. If you're buying a scope in 2026 and can spend $449, this is the one to get. The only reasons to look elsewhere: you need deeper memory (Siglent SDS2104X Plus), you want proven track record over specs (DS1054Z), or you need CAN/LIN included free and can save $30 (Siglent SDS1104X-U at $419).
Rigol DS1054Z
If you're buying your first oscilloscope to learn embedded systems, debug Arduino or ESP32 projects, or study signals at school, buy the DS1054Z — 4 channels, full protocol decoders, and a decade of community support for $349 is a package that still has no real competition at this price. Don't buy it if you do professional bench work daily or need clean capture above 50MHz; for that, the DHO924S at $899 is the right tool. The honest tradeoff: DS1054Z gives you 4 channels and the largest hobbyist knowledge base on the internet; DHO924S gives you 250MHz and a touchscreen for $550 more. For a first scope for a hobbyist, student, or maker, this is the buy.