Rigol DHO924S vs Rigol DS1054Z
Head-to-head spec comparison to help you pick the right scope for your bench.
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 and a modern touchscreen workflow
- 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 no longer the default hobbyist oscilloscope recommendation now that Amazon pricing is around $899. The 7-inch IPS touchscreen is still excellent — pinch to zoom, tap to place cursors, swipe to scroll through captures — and the spec stack is serious: 250MHz bandwidth, 4 channels, 50Mpt memory, a function generator, WiFi, and CAN/LIN protocol decoding. But at this price it belongs in the premium-upgrade tier, not the beginner tier. Buy it if you need the bandwidth, mixed-signal-ready feature set, and modern Rigol workflow. Most first-time buyers should start with the DS1054Z or DHO804 instead.
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.