Printer comparison
ELEGOO Mars 5 Ultra vs Rat Rig V-Core 4
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ELEGOO Mars 5 Ultra comparisonsMore Rat Rig V-Core 4 comparisons
| Property | ELEGOO Mars 5 UltraRESIN | Rat Rig V-Core 4COREXY |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | ELEGOO | Rat Rig |
| Class | RESIN | COREXY |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | ELEGOO Mars 5 Ultra. Elegoo's product handle is mars-5-ultra-9k-7inch-monochrome-lcd-resin-3d-printer[1][2][3] | Rat Rig V-Core 4, sold in the US as "RatRig V-Core 4 3D Printer Kit"[4] |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | $269.00 in Elegoo's live US product feed, in stock, checked Aug 2026. The Mars 5 Series collection page rendered $259.00 against a $338.00 compare-at price on the same day, so the two Elegoo surfaces disagree by $10[3][2] | $2,319.99 at Fabreeko for the fully-specified US kit (price includes shipping and duty in the continental USA), Batch 4, checked Aug 2026. 300 mm ABS-parts variant in stock, 400 mm down to one unit. Rat Rig's own base kit is priced separately in EUR[4][5] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | Not a trim of the Mars 5 — a different imaging stack and a different release mechanism: 7-inch 9K LCD and 18 um pixels vs 6.6-inch 4K and 35 um, 150 vs 70 mm/h, tilt-release vs straight lift, an AI camera, and Wi-Fi added. Seven bundle SKUs pair it with Mercury Plus V2.0/V3.0 or Mercury XS at $363-$432[6][1][2][3] | Three sizes (300, 400, 500 mm cubes) and three motion configurations: Standard CoreXY, Hybrid CoreXY (+$149.99, adds two motors to Y), and IDEX with two independent toolheads (+$450.00). Superseded by the V-Core 4.1. Raspberry Pi and enclosure panels are not included[4][5] |
| Market position: superseded? successor announced? | Not documented | Superseded by the V-Core 4.1, which adds a steel X gantry, a full-metal toolhead, improved part cooling, 8 mm beds on the 400 and 500 sizes and pre-made cables. Rat Rig sells a 4.1 upgrade kit for existing V-Core 4 owners[5] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 153.36 x 77.76 x 165 mm[1] | 300 x 300 x 300, 400 x 400 x 400 or 500 x 500 x 500 mm. Sortable value is the 300 mm kit[4][5] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 260 x 268 x 451.5 mm[1] | Not documented |
| Net weight (kg) | Approximately 8.8 kg[1] | Not documented |
| Frame construction & material | Not documented | 30-series aluminium extrusion with printed ABS structural parts[4][5] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Open-frame MSLA with a removable UV-blocking cover[1] | Open by default; enclosure panels sold separately[4] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | MSLA with tilt-release: the resin tank tilts after each layer to peel the part rather than pulling straight up. Single Z axis[1] | CoreXY, or Hybrid CoreXY, or Hybrid CoreXY IDEX depending on the configuration ordered[4] |
| Stepper drivers (exact model e.g. TMC2209; UART/SPI; sensorless homing?) | Not documented | TMC2209[4] |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Not documented | LDO Orbiter 2.0 direct-drive extruder[4] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?) | Not documented | Phaetus Rapido 2.0 UHF[4] |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Not documented | Keenovo silicone bed heater[4] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Automatic levelling, one click, via an intelligent mechanical sensor. One-Click Self-Check routine. Alarms for resin shortage, residue detection and levelling failure[1] | Beacon eddy-current probe[4] |
| Cooling & Air Handling | ||
| Part-cooling fan(s): count, size, ducting design | Not documented | Nidec 4028 part-cooling fan[4] |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Mainboard model & MCU (exact chip markings if teardowns exist) | Not documented | BigTreeTech Octopus[4] |
| Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto) | 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz, 24 V 3 A[1] | Not documented |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Not named by Elegoo. Supported slicer is CHITUBOX[1] | RatOS, Rat Rig's Klipper distribution[5] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 4.0-inch capacitive touchscreen (control panel — not the masking LCD, see W1)[1] | Not documented |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | USB and Wi-Fi[1] | Not documented |
| Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps) | AI camera fitted; Elegoo does not publish its resolution for this model[1] | Not documented |
| Camera features: live monitor, timelapse, AI failure detection (spaghetti detection) — how real is it? | AI camera detects empty build plates and print errors[1] | Not documented |
| Calibration Routines & QoL | ||
| Assembly level & time from unbox to first print | Not documented | Self-assembly kit; Raspberry Pi and enclosure panels sourced separately[4] |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | 405 nm photopolymer resin. No compatibility list published on this listing[1] | Not documented |
| Safety | ||
| Firmware safety limits (max temp cutoffs — exact values) | Overheating protection activates above 80 °C[1] | Not documented |
| Resin & MSLA | ||
| Masking LCD | 7-inch 9K monochrome masking LCD, 8520 x 4320 px, XY pixel pitch 18 x 18 um (manufacturer specification)[1][3] | Not documented |
| Light source | 25-LED COB light source emitting a 405 nm UV beam (manufacturer specification)[1] | Not documented |
| Light uniformity & intensity | 92% light uniformity claimed by Elegoo. No intensity figure published, and no independent measurement[1] | Not documented |
| Vertical print speedmm/h | 150 mm/h maximum, which Elegoo attributes to the tilt-release mechanism (manufacturer claim). Elegoo also offers switchable slow and fast print modes but does not state the layer height the figure assumes[1] | Not documented |
| Layer exposure times | 1.5-3 s layer cure time (manufacturer figure; layer height not stated). Sortable value is the midpoint[1] | Not documented |
| LCD life & replaceability | Masking LCD protected by a scratch-resistant tempered 9H glass cover that also guards against resin leakage. Elegoo publishes no rated screen life in hours and does not state whether the user can replace the LCD[1] | Not documented |
| Resin vat & feeding | Resin tank supplied with the machine; resin-shortage and residue-detection alarms fitted. Capacity not published; no auto-refill[1] | Not documented |
Manufacturer claims, independent measurements, packages and test conditions retain their source wording. FDM linear speed and resin vertical speed use different units and are not directly comparable. Unknown values are marked “Not documented”. Prices and source dates remain historical snapshots; check the linked guide for product details. Differences highlight text, not a universal winner.
Sources for this comparison
- Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra product page (technical data and description) 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- ELEGOO Mars 5 Series collection (live US prices) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- ELEGOO Mars 5 Series live product feed us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- RatRig V-Core 4 kit (US distributor listing) fabreeko.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Rat Rig V-Core 4.1 product page ratrig.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Elegoo Mars 5 product page (technical data and description) 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor