3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
Rat Rig V-Core 4 vs UltiMaker S5
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore Rat Rig V-Core 4 comparisonsMore UltiMaker S5 comparisons
| Property | Rat Rig V-Core 4COREXY | UltiMaker S5INDUSTRIAL |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | Rat Rig | UltiMaker |
| Class | COREXY | INDUSTRIAL |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | Rat Rig V-Core 4, sold in the US as "RatRig V-Core 4 3D Printer Kit"[1] | UltiMaker S5 3D Printer[2] |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | $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[1][3] | Starting at $6,950 at MatterHackers, in stock, checked Aug 2026[2] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | 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 Superseded by the V-Core 4.1.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[1][3] | Three generations share the same 330 x 240 x 300 mm envelope and are easy to confuse: S5 (280 °C nozzle, glass bed to 140 °C, 4.7-inch screen), S7 (PEI-coated flexible plate, Wi-Fi 5 GHz added, $5,999) and S8 (340 °C, 500 mm/s, 50,000 mm/s2, PEI plate to 120 °C). Build-volume figures alone will not tell them apart[2][4][5] |
| Market position: superseded? successor announced? | Superseded by the V-Core 4.1, which adds a steel X gantry, a full-metal toolhead, improved part cooling, 8 mm beds on the 400 and 500 sizes and pre-made cables. Rat Rig sells a 4.1 upgrade kit for existing V-Core 4 owners[3] | Superseded by the S7 and then the S8, but still sold[2][4][5] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 300 x 300 x 300, 400 x 400 x 400 or 500 x 500 x 500 mm. Sortable value is the 300 mm kit[1][3] | 330 x 240 x 300 mm[2] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | Not documented | 495 x 585 x 780 mm assembled with the spool holder[2] |
| Net weight (kg) | Not documented | 20.6 kg[2] |
| Frame construction & material | 30-series aluminium extrusion with printed ABS structural parts[1][3] | Fully assembled professional chassis[2] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Open by default; enclosure panels sold separately[1] | Not documented |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | CoreXY, or Hybrid CoreXY, or Hybrid CoreXY IDEX depending on the configuration ordered[1] | Dual-extrusion gantry with an articulating nozzle-lifting print head. UltiMaker does not publish the kinematic layout in this spec table[2] |
| Stepper drivers (exact model e.g. TMC2209; UART/SPI; sensorless homing?) | TMC2209[1] | Not documented |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max volumetric flow claimed (mm³/s) | Not documented | Build speed under 24 mm3/s (manufacturer figure)[2] |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | LDO Orbiter 2.0 direct-drive extruder[1] | Dual-geared feeder rated for advanced composites; dual extrusion with swappable print cores[2] |
| Filament diameter | Not documented | 2.85 mm[2] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?) | Phaetus Rapido 2.0 UHF[1] | Not documented |
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | Not documented | 180-280 °C nozzle temperature range; heat-up under 2 minutes[2] |
| Stock nozzle size & sizes included in box | Not documented | 0.4 mm standard; 0.25, 0.6 and 0.8 mm available[2] |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | Not documented | Heated glass bed, 20-140 °C[2] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Keenovo silicone bed heater[1] | Heated glass build plate[2] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Beacon eddy-current probe[1] | Automatic advanced levelling; probe technology not stated in this table[2] |
| Cooling & Air Handling | ||
| Part-cooling fan(s): count, size, ducting design | Nidec 4028 part-cooling fan[1] | Not documented |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Mainboard model & MCU (exact chip markings if teardowns exist) | BigTreeTech Octopus[1] | Not documented |
| Total rated power draw | Not documented | 500 W maximum power output[2] |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | RatOS, Rat Rig's Klipper distribution[3] | Not published; print preparation is UltiMaker Cura and UltiMaker Essentials[2] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | Not documented | 4.7-inch colour touchscreen[2] |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | Not documented | Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB[2] |
| Calibration Routines & QoL | ||
| Assembly level & time from unbox to first print | Self-assembly kit; Raspberry Pi and enclosure panels sourced separately[1] | Not documented |
| Noise & Power Consumption | ||
| Noise: claimed dB and independently measured dB (distance/method) | Not documented | Under 50 dBA operating sound, manufacturer figure. No independent measurement; distance and method not stated[2] |
| Independently Measured Performance | ||
| Dimensional accuracy measurements (third-party, with numbers) | Not documented | XYZ resolution 6.9 / 6.9 / 2.5 micron (manufacturer specification, not an independent measurement)[2] |
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
- RatRig V-Core 4 kit (US distributor listing) fabreeko.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- UltiMaker S5 3D Printer listing matterhackers.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Rat Rig V-Core 4.1 product page ratrig.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- UltiMaker S7 product listing shop3duniverse.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- UltiMaker S8 3D Printer listing matterhackers.com · 2026-08 · vendor