After more than 32 hours of testing, we were able to pick the top five graphing calculators for their highly efficient performance and exclusive features. However, if you urgently need a calculator, we recommend you Texas Instruments TI-84 Graphing Calculator. The unit comes with a perfect combination of advanced features and an easy usability interface.
Best Graphing Calculator Reviews
While looking for a new graphing calculator, you should keep in mind that not all calculators are made equal. It is significant to opt for the best graphing calculator that fulfills your requirement efficiently without paying for additional functions.
Another notable thing you should remember is that your needs may change with the evolving career. If you are in the early stage of your profession and confident that your path is consistent, then you might want to spend on a high-end graphing calculator that is more advanced than your current requirement. It’s better to leave some room for expansion.
In this way, you will quickly become familiar with the interface and will gradually learn all the complexities that you will need in the future. On the other hand, if you are set with the present position then you can look for a graphing calculator which provides you with sufficient grip on what you need right now. To cater to every category, we tested multiple graphing calculators for various brands and evaluated their performance based on efficiency and features.
Afterward, we picked the best graphing calculators and reviewed them to let you know the capabilities of the best graphing calculator and help you in making a quick choice. Also, we included a buying guide to let you explore other models and choose the best one while keeping in mind the important features your graphing calculator must have.
Top 5 Graphing Calculator
Texas Instruments TI-84 Graphing Calculator
The Texas Instruments TI-84 Graphing Calculator offers exceptional functionality with the included 12 applications. It is capable of splitting the display for presenting relevant function diagrams in one window and the table values in the other.
These rich features make it a highly useful graphing calculator for various fields including Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Chemistry, Physics, and the list goes on. The device comes with a decent processing unit to provide you with excellent performance.
You will get 24KB RAM that will make sure to give an enhanced speed of graphing, saving, and evaluating up to 8 functions at a time. This high performance is due to the processor which is 2.5 times stronger than the prior model. Besides, it is equipped with 480KB ROM to provide you with sufficient room for storing essential data.
For presenting results and the plotting functions, the Texas Instruments TI-84 Graphing Calculator makes use of a 2.8-inch monochrome display which comes with a 96 x 64-pixel resolution. Though the resolution is comparatively small, still you will find the function graphs and figure projections easy to read.
HP 50g Graphing Calculator
The HP 50g Graphing Calculator is among the most versatile and powerful calculators on the market. It delivers superior performance and efficiently handles almost every mathematical task. The unit comes with impressive features that make it an attractive choice.
From Algebra to Advanced Physics, it features 2300 built-in functions which fulfill the requirements of students in one handy device. Offering 512k RAM and 2MB ROM, it gives adequate processing power to satisfy most users. Another exclusive feature of the HP 50g Graphing Calculator is the accessibility to SD cards.
This extra space significantly enhances the programmability and value. The physical buttons provide you with essential functions such as exponents, square roots, division, multiplication, etc. For advanced applications, you can use an Alpha and two colored buttons on the left of the device.
Lastly, the HP 50g Graphing Calculator is supported by a 1-year warranty for customer satisfaction is a topmost priority. In case of any company’s defect, you can either simply replace the device or get your money refunded.
TI 89 Titanium Graphing Calculator
The TI 89 Titanium Graphing Calculator made it our top pick for functional and helpful features. It is known for its extensive application in the field of education. As far as RAM and storage space are concerned, it outperforms most models on the market.
The model can be quite helpful in a variety of subjects from Trigonometry to Calculus. It’s a versatile device to fulfill all your academic needs. In addition to unmatchable computing power, it offers additional formulas and function editors that can significantly assist you during examinations.
It provides you with an easy-to-use interface so you will get familiar with various features and operations in minimum time. Further, the unit comes with a 100 x 160-pixel display so you can quickly read the functioning. Also, it offers split-screen views to let you perform multiple functions on dual screens thus saving you time and enhancing your performance.
The TI 89 Titanium Graphing Calculator features USB on-the-go technology that allows you to share files with other calculators. Also, you can connect the device to PCs for this purpose. Finally, it offers you a 1-year warranty so you can purchase the device with peace of mind.
HP Prime Graphing Calculator
The HP Prime Graphing Calculator comes with rich functionality and offers 2-D graphing, calculation, and plotting for several objective functions such as rectangular conversion. Also, it provides you with quick calculations for statistical and mathematical functions.
The graphing calculator makes for a perfect device for calculating in various areas including engineering, computer science, surveying, geometry, physics, and a lot more.
The versatile device features preset calculation modes that can significantly help in solving long and complicated equations containing several variables. On top of that, it offers you an exclusive hint feature that can incredibly enhance the calculator’s usability.
The HP Prime Graphing Calculator features make it as a leading choice among many graphing calculators. It is equipped with 356MB integrated memory which is the biggest on the market. It provides you ample space for storing specified functions and calculation patterns which makes it a highly versatile option.
It features 32MB RAM which again makes it stand out among the competitors. Finally, it comes with a 400 MHz ARM9 processor to provide you with an efficient performance of substantial data computing, plotting, and performing other calculations.
Casio FX-CG10 PRIZM Color Graphing Calculator
The Casio FX-CG10 PRIZM Color Graphing Calculator offers ease of use with an icon-based menu. Featuring built-in spreadsheet applications and the latest scientific technology, it brings together real images into mathematics.
If you are a student at college or university, this model can be an excellent choice as it offers message menu support in up to 7 languages with is pretty notable. The device comes with a high-speed processor which enhances the processing speed up to five times which is significantly faster compared to many models.
You can solve long and complex graphics problems more easily and quickly. Further, the model includes a 1.5 MB of internal memory along with 62 KB RAM which makes it a highly commendable choice in the respective fields of application such as Statistics and Mathematics.
Moving on you will discover a full-color LCD screen that measures 3.7 inches. The display offers more than 60,000 striking colors with 82,000 pixels. The resolution of the screen is high as 384 x 216 pixels. Similar to many graphing calculators, it operates on AAA-size batteries. The four rechargeable AAA batteries are capable of working up to 140 hours. Highly recommend it.
Graphing Calculator Buying Guide
How to Choose
You will find various levels of power, precision, and capabilities in a graphing calculator and it’s significant to opt for the one that is right for you. For the high school student, it is best to start with a user-friendly device with easy-to-read buttons, large numbers, and several functions.
2nd and 3rd Functions
Every graphing calculator comes with 2nd or shifts button that let you snap different roles of the same button. For instance, the SIN button contains SIN-1 which is the inverse of the trigonometric function.
You can use this feature to find the value of the angle when you know the ratio value. Many calculators also offer additional features that might become overwhelming for you. If you do not have such complicated requirements as 3D capabilities, you can consider simple models that will be cost-effective and easy to learn.
Graphing Capability
Make sure to choose a calculator which can deliver your requirements. If you are planning to go for math, science, or business majors, then probably you will need a high-end model to evolve efficiently. With the latest models, you can have incredible functions such as some offer graphing input data for statistics whereas other exclusive features are available for algebra and calculus.
Apps and Programs
You will get to know about many people who are creating apps for graphing calculation, and they have been doing this longer than IOS and Android developers. You will find numerous apps for a variety of subjects and courses.
You can download them from the Texas instruments website or directly from developer sites. Therefore, consider whether your graphing calculator is compatible with these highly useful applications.
Value of a Good Quadratic Solver App
To have an excellent quadratic solver app is the dream of every student. As students understand the graph of a parabola and how these variable values affect shape and intercepts, they eventually learn how to use the quadratic formula equation in the right way.
However, the process can be quite time-consuming to determine the x-intercept or roots of the quadratic equation. Using a quadratic solver app, you can solve these roots more quickly. Though students should know how to find these values by hand, these graphing calculators come as a handy tool to check and confirm answers. Also, teachers can make use of quadratic solver apps to help students readily understand the material.
Display
You will find several graphing calculators with various displays including a large screens, medium-sized screens, and small screens. Also, you can have a high-resolution display, color display, and black-lit screen. It’s up to your requirement and budget for which graphing calculator you should opt. A High-resolution color display can be an excellent choice if you are looking for a high-end model.
Processing Speed
Processing speed is a crucial consideration as you will want to have a graphing calculator that provides you with faster computations. Therefore, check the processing speed before making your purchase.
Memory
Many graphing calculators come with this highly-useful memory feature. Every graphing calculator has a different memory storage capacity to let users save equations and programs. Choose the one that suits your need.
Ease of Use
You will never want to have an expensive and complicated gadget that’s hard to operate. These devices often consume a lot of time to learn and serve various functions. It is advised to choose a model that is user-friendly and comes with an intuitive design, keyboards, and layouts.
Price
Most graphing calculators come under almost a similar price range. However, the high-end models with multiple exclusive features are comparatively costly. So, the expense is always a factor to consider.
Warranty
When purchasing an expensive device, it is always important to check out the warranty. A one-year warranty backs most graphing calculators; however, one should always double-check. In case of any defect, you can instantly return and replace the calculator without spending extra bucks from your pocket.
Conclusion
Whether you need a graphing powerhouse or a straightforward graphing calculator, keep in mind that choose a particular model that should meet your both current and long-term requirements.
Lack of capabilities can be problematic in complex problem solving whereas too much power can be confusing for a newbie who just got familiar with the basic functions. It’s all about finding the graphing calculator with a perfect balance between potential capability for the future and essential services for now.