Printer comparison
ELEGOO Mars 5 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 comparisonsMore Rat Rig V-Core 4 comparisons
| Property | ELEGOO Mars 5RESIN | 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. Elegoo's own product handle spells the configuration out: mars-5-4k-6-6inch-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) | $179.00 on us.elegoo.com against a $225.00 compare-at price (20% off), in stock, checked Aug 2026. The live product feed shows the same $179.00[2][3] | $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) | Sold beside the Mars 5 Ultra, which is a materially different machine: 7-inch 9K masking LCD vs 6.6-inch 4K, 18 um vs 35 um pixels, 150 vs 70 mm/h, a 4.0-inch capacitive control screen vs 3.5-inch resistive, and Wi-Fi (the plain Mars 5 is USB only). Elegoo lists ten further Mars 5 / Mars 5 Ultra bundle SKUs pairing the printers with Mercury wash-and-cure stations at $302-$432; those are not printer prices[1][6][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 Superseded by the V-Core 4.1.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| Market position: superseded?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 | Not documented | Superseded by the V-Core 4.1, which adds a steel X gantry, a full-metal toolhead, improved part cooling, 8 mm beds on the 400 and 500 sizes and pre-made cables.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 | 143.43 x 89.6 x 150 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) | 230 x 230 x 433.5 mm[1] | Not documented |
| Net weight (kg) | Approximately 6.6 kg[1] | Not documented |
| Frame construction & material | Metal frame with adjustable foot pads[1] | 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 — UV LCD masked stereolithography. Single Z axis, build plate lifting straight out of the vat (no tilt-release on this model, unlike the Mars 5 Ultra)[1][6] | 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 | Laser-engraved build plate with a quick-release design[1] | Keenovo silicone bed heater[4] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Automatic levelling, one click. An intelligent mechanical sensor detects resin residue to prevent LCD damage[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 slicers are Voxeldance Tango and CHITUBOX; STL and OBJ accepted[1] | RatOS, Rat Rig's Klipper distribution[5] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 3.5-inch resistive touchscreen (control panel — not the masking LCD, see W1)[1] | Not documented |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | USB only — no Wi-Fi on this model[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. Elegoo does not publish a resin compatibility list on this listing[1] | Not documented |
| Safety | ||
| Firmware safety limits (max temp cutoffs — exact values) | Intelligent overheating protection stops printing above 80 °C[1] | Not documented |
| Resin & MSLA | ||
| Masking LCD | 6.6-inch 4K monochrome masking LCD, 4098 x 2560 px, XY pixel pitch 35 x 35 um (manufacturer specification)[1][3] | Not documented |
| Light source | COB LED at 405 nm. Elegoo does not publish an LED count or collimating optics for this model[1] | Not documented |
| Vertical print speedmm/h | 70 mm/h maximum (manufacturer claim). Elegoo does not state the layer height or resin type the figure assumes[1] | Not documented |
| Release film | PFA film with a non-stick surface. No rated life published[1] | Not documented |
| Resin vat & feeding | Replaceable resin tank with two pouring openings and screw caps. An intelligent mechanical sensor detects resin residue in the vat. Capacity not published; no auto-refill[1] | Not documented |
| Fume extraction | None fitted. Elegoo states compatibility with the separately sold MARS MATE air purifier for odour reduction[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 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 Ultra product page (technical data and description) 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor