What's the difference between the TI-83 Plus and TI-84 Plus?

These two calculators are pretty easy to tell apart when looking at appearance, but they are much more similar than their appearance would suggest. Note that in this article we will be talking about only the first TI-84 Plus version. This calculator is the oldest version of the TI-84 but it is still be best selling one.

As we briefly mentioned the two calculators are almost identical in software. You will be able to do almost all the same things on the TI-83 Plus that you would on the TI-84 Plus.

The Differences

The TI-83 plus came out before the TI-84 and so the TI-84 is the superior calculator, but not by much.

1. The first difference is of course the appearance. The TI-84 looks a bit more rounded off and slightly more modern.
2. Another difference is that the TI-84 Plus can be connected to a computer via a USB port while the TI-83 plus does not come with a USB port. This means that the TI-84 has the potential to get updated software if TI ever comes out with a new version. This is unlikely however because TI is focusing on it's newer versions of the TI-84 more lately.
3. And finally the main difference is computing power. The TI-83 Plus has about a 6 MHz processor while the TI-84 Plus has about a 15 MHz processor. In the real world this makes the TI-84 Plus about 2x as fast as the TI-83 Plus. The TI-83 also has 160 KB of storage whereas the TI-84 Plus has 480 KB. Both calculators have the same 24 KB of RAM.
4. The main software difference is that the TI-84 Plus is that the TI-84 Plus has MATHPRINT and the TI-83 doesn't. MATHPRINT TI's name for the calculators ability to print out templates for fractions and other things.

Below is a picture of the differences between MATHPRINT mode vs regular mode. The TI-84 can have MATHPRINT mode whereas the TI-83 will not have it.

Standardized Tests

Both of these calculators will be allowed on the same standardized tests. This includes SAT PSAT ACT and Math AP exams. Check out the ACT and/or SAT calculator policies for more info on this topic.

Our Recommendation

While these two calculators are both still very popular, there are newer versions that are similar in price. If you want a TI-84 Plus we would recommend checking out some of the newer versions of the TI-84 Plus or the newest version, The TI-84 Plus CE.

We think that the only advantage that the TI-83 Plus has is price. If you want the best deal, defiantly go with the TI-83 Plus. You are essentially getting the same calculator, with a few less features for a significantly lower price.