Rigol DS1054Z replaced? Meet the DHO804.

The old Rigol DS1054Z was a legend in the budget world, but when I saw the specs on the new DHO804, I was thoroughly impressed. A proper 4-channel scope with a capacitive touchscreen, 12-bit resolution, and an affordable price point from Rigol? It felt too good to be true. Let’s have a look at it.

For context, this thing sits in the DHO800 series: 70 MHz bandwidth on the DHO804, 1.25 GSa/s real-time sampling (on a single channel), up to 25 Mpts memory depth, and a waveform capture rate that hits 1,000,000 wfms/s in UltraAcquire mode. The 12-bit ADC gives you 4096 levels of vertical resolution instead of the usual 256 on 8-bit scopes. That means way better detail on small signals, lower noise floor, and the ability to actually see subtle stuff without it getting lost in quantization noise.

And yeah, it’s compact. We’re talking a tiny footprint (about 10.5″ wide), lightweight, and it even has VESA mount compatibility so you can arm-mount it and free up bench space. Power comes via USB-C, which is brilliant for portability or running it off a power bank if you’re doing field work.

Who Is This Thing For?

This is the part that blows me away. The DHO804 genuinely bridges entry-level hobbyists all the way up to serious professionals who don’t need GHz bandwidth.

• Beginners and hobbyists: If you’re just getting into electronics, Arduino, repair work, or power supply debugging, having four channels is a game-changer. You can watch multiple signals at once without constantly swapping probes.
• Intermediate users: Serial decoding (I²C, SPI, UART, CAN) is built-in and standard – no extra cost. The touch interface makes navigating menus feel modern instead of clunky.
• Pros: The low noise, 12-bit resolution, and high capture rate make it surprisingly capable for debugging mixed-signal designs, power electronics, or catching rare glitches. Plenty of people upgrading from older 8-bit Rigols are calling this a massive leap.

It’s not trying to be a high-end lab monster (go look at the DHO4000 or DHO900 series for that). But for everyday bench work under 70 MHz, it punches ridiculously above its weight.

Final Verdict

If you’re in the market for a new scope and you’ve been holding off because everything either feels ancient or costs an arm and a leg, the Rigol DHO804 is worth serious consideration. It delivers 4 channels, proper 12-bit resolution, a beautiful touchscreen, and modern features in a package that doesn’t break the bank.

It feels like Rigol took everything people loved about the budget kings and leveled it up without adding too much to the price-point. Whether you’re debugging a switching power supply, working on embedded projects, or just want a scope that won’t frustrate you in six months, this one covers a surprisingly wide range of users.

What do you think?