For complex math problems and equations, the best graphing calculator is the answer. There's no better or more reliable way to tackle problems with statistics, algebra or trigonometry than with one of these, not to mention it's also an ideal miniature laptop for engineering. It can be difficult to find the best graphing calculator for science students and professionals. To make matters worse, many manufacturers don't advertise everything the calculators are capable of and cannot do; You could end up investing in one that lacks a crucial feature you need. And what's the point of spending $100/$80 on something that doesn't do what you need? Fortunately, this is where we come in. We want to help you get the best graphing calculator for your needs, whether you're looking for more traditional physical calculators or their mobile software counterparts. While we haven't officially tested them here, some of us have survived trigonometry and calculus with these, so if that can help us navigate integration by parts, then it can handle just about anything you can throw at it. Whether you're a returning student (even remotely) and taking standardized tests, doing a lot of general lab work, or running your own business, you'll find something to fit your needs on our list.
The best graphing calculators at a glance
1. Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus CE
The school staple gets a color enhancement
Features Display: Hi-Res Backlit Color Battery: Rechargeable Lithium Ion Memory: 154KB RAM Passed Tests: PSAT, SAT, ACT, NMBST, AP, IB Dimensions (H x W x D): 7,5 x 3,42 x 0,62 inches (190,5 x 86,86 x 15,74 mm) Weight: 12 ounces (340 grams) Reasons to buy + Lightweight + Backlit display + Rechargeable battery Reasons to avoid -Expensive When it comes to the best calculators graphing calculators for high school and college students, it doesn't get much better than the TI-84 series calculators. The latest model, the TI-84 Plus CE, has all the features you'd expect from a fancy graphing calculator, but with a modern backlit color display and comes preloaded with several useful math apps. It has a rechargeable battery that should give you about two weeks on a single charge, saving you extra money on batteries for several years of high school, college, and high school math classes.
2. Casio FX-9750GII
The perfect pocket graphing calculator
Features Display: Monochrome LCD Battery: 4 AAA alkaline batteries Memory: 62 KB RAM Passed exams: PSAT, SAT, ACT, NMBST, AP, IB Dimensions (H x W x D): 7,5 x 3,42 x 0,62. 190,5 inches (86,86 x 15,74 x 7,6 mm) Weight: 215,45 ounces (100 grams) Reasons to buy + Very portable + Very affordable Reasons to avoid -No built-in battery A graphing calculator can be a Expensive gear, with some mid-to-high-end units costing north of $80 / £140 / AU$9750. If you think you won't need it after the semester ends, the Casio FX-200GII is probably the best graphing calculator that exists. It's powerful enough to handle everything from math to finance to statistics, without any of the cost-increasing bells and whistles of other graphing calculators. Unfortunately, one of those missing features is a rechargeable battery, but the four included AAA batteries should get you around XNUMX hours of use, which might be enough to pass your final exam. If you need them beyond that, expect to shell out some new batteries at the start of the next semester.
3. HP Prime
One touch touch screen on graphing calculator
Features Display: Hi-Res Color Touch Screen Battery: Rechargeable Lithium Ion Memory: 256MB Flash Passed Tests: PSAT, SAT, ACT, NMBST, AP, IB Dimensions (H x W x D): 7,13 x 3,38 .0,55 x 182,3 inches (85,8 x 13,9 x 8.04 mm) Weight: 228 ounces (16 grams) Reasons to buy + 16-bit color touchscreen + Large memory Reasons to avoid -Expensive The HP Prime definitely updates the standard graphing calculator design to feature a more modern form factor and 256-bit multi-touch screen. It also has XNUMXMB of flash memory, which is far more than you'll find on many other graphing calculators. However, all this glare comes at a price, making the Prime one of the most expensive consumer graphing calculators on the market, and it should be noted that it's not quite as good as some of its slightly cheaper competitors.
4. Texas Instruments TI-83 Plus
The Cadillac of precalculating graphing calculators
Features Display: Monochrome LCD Battery: 4xAAA alkaline Memory: 24KB RAM Passed tests: PSAT, SAT, ACT, NMBST, AP, IB Dimensions (H x W x D): 11,3 x 7,5 x 1,4 inches (287 x 190,5 x 35,5 mm) Weight: 7,2 ounces (204,1 grams) Reasons to buy + Perfect for pre-calculus work Reasons to avoid -Limited display Graphing calculators really fall into two different categories, those who can do math and those who can't. If you don't need to differentiate or integrate, the Texas Instruments TI-83 Plus is definitely the best graphing calculator you can buy. It has been a mainstay of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry classes around the world. It's not the flashiest or most powerful calculator on the market, but it's perfect for looking at quadratic and exponential functions. While it's not the cheapest calculator on the market, it's been around for so long that you can find great deals online without much effort.