Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra Review
The Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra is a $269 resin printer with a 7-inch 9K screen, 18-micron detail, automatic leveling and a tilting vat that makes it more than twice as fast as the regular Mars 5 on paper. It suits miniature and tabletop printing on a budget. Skip it if your print room runs cold.
We don't own a Mars 5 Ultra and we haven't tested one. This page pulls together ELEGOO's specs, three named reviews and what owners report, with every source linked. More on that on our how we research page.
Is the Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra worth buying?
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For most people printing miniatures, yes. Tom's Hardware gave it an Editor's Choice, and the reviews agree on the big things: sharp detail, fast prints and very little setup. The weak spots are real but fixable. Prints stick hard to the plate on default settings, and the resin needs a warm room.
Buy it if
- You print tabletop miniatures, busts or jewelry-sized parts.
- You want a resin printer that levels itself and runs from the box.
- You want 9K detail for under $300.
Skip it if
- You print in a garage or room that drops below about 25°C (77°F).
- You want to print large terrain or helmets in one piece.
- You expect the AI camera to catch every failed print. It won't.
How much does the Mars 5 Ultra cost?
| Version | What you get | Price now | Regular | Store |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra | Printer only. Wash and cure station and resin sold separately. | $269 | $338 | Check current price on ELEGOO |
Prices checked several times a week on ELEGOO's US store. See every printer we track on our 3D printer prices page.
What are the Mars 5 Ultra specs?
Image: ELEGOO
The headline number is the screen. A 7-inch 9K mono LCD puts 18 by 18 micron pixels under the resin. That is half the pixel size of the 4K Mars 5. The build area is small, about 6 by 3 by 6.5 inches. That fits a squad of miniatures, not a full-size helmet.
The spec that changes daily use is tilt release. Instead of pulling each layer straight off the film, the vat tilts to peel it. ELEGOO rates the printer at up to 150 mm per hour, against 70 mm per hour for the Mars 5.
| Spec | Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Screen | 7-inch 9K mono LCD |
| XY resolution | 18 × 18 microns |
| Build volume | 153.36 × 77.76 × 165 mm |
| Max print speed | 150 mm/h (tilt release) |
| Leveling | Automatic, with a mechanical sensor |
| Monitoring | Built-in AI camera, resin level and debris detection |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi and USB |
| Weight | 8.8 kg |
Specs from ELEGOO's US product page, All3DP's launch report and Tom's Hardware's review.
What is the difference between the Elegoo Mars 5 and Mars 5 Ultra?
Both launched in June 2024 and both level themselves. The Ultra adds three things that matter: a sharper screen, the tilting vat and the camera. The Mars 5 is the cheaper way in if you print slowly and don't mind softer detail.
| Mars 5 | Mars 5 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | 6.66-inch 4K | 7-inch 9K |
| XY resolution | 35 × 35 microns | 18 × 18 microns |
| Build volume | 143.43 × 89.6 × 150 mm | 153.36 × 77.76 × 165 mm |
| Max speed | 70 mm/h | 150 mm/h |
| Tilt release | No | Yes |
| AI camera | No | Yes |
| Price on ELEGOO US | $179 | $269 |
Our take: pay more for the Ultra. You get finer detail on small figures and prints that finish in well under half the time on paper.
Image: ELEGOO
What do reviewers and owners report?
The reviews agree on print quality and ease of setup. They also flag the same handful of problems, which is useful to know before you buy.
- Detail is the strong point. Tom's Hardware called it ideal for gaming miniatures and gave it an Editor's Choice. Maker Hacks reported clean, smooth surfaces even with light supports.
- Prints stick too well at first. Tom's Hardware and Maker Hacks both had trouble removing parts on default settings. The fix is cutting the bottom layer exposure.
- It wants a warm room. Maker Hacks logged a run of failures until the room held 25 to 30°C. There is no built-in resin heater.
- The AI camera is limited. Goonhammer found it can't see the whole plate and missed some failures. Maker Hacks called it close to useless for catching problems.
- Wi-Fi works, with quirks. Goonhammer saw occasional dropouts and found the on-screen keyboard tiny for typing passwords.
- Setup is quick. All three reviews praised the self-leveling plate.
Image: ELEGOO
Is the Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra good for beginners?
Yes, with one warning. Automatic leveling, a self-check and a factory-leveled plate remove most of what goes wrong on a first resin printer. Tom's Hardware and Goonhammer both pitch it at newcomers. The warning is temperature. Resin printing fails in a cold room, and nothing on this machine warms the resin for you. If your space runs cool, budget for a small heater.
New to resin? Our guide to how resin 3D printing works covers the basics in plain English.
Should you get the Mars 5 Ultra or the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K?
Pick by what you print. The Mars 5 Ultra is the better value for figures up to about 6 inches tall. The Saturn 4 Ultra 16K costs $499 against $269 and gives you a build area roughly twice as wide, plus finer pixels. That matters for terrain, vehicles and batch printing.
| Mars 5 Ultra | Saturn 4 Ultra 16K | |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | 7-inch 9K | 10-inch 16K |
| XY resolution | 18 × 18 microns | 14 × 19 microns |
| Build volume | 153 × 78 × 165 mm | 212 × 118 × 220 mm |
| Max speed | 150 mm/h | 150 mm/h |
| Price now | $269 | $499 |
| Store | See the Mars 5 Ultra | See the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K |
Still choosing? Our best resin 3D printers page also covers the Anycubic Photon Mono M7. If you mainly paint figures, start with our best resin 3D printer for miniatures picks.
What else do you need to start?
Image: ELEGOO
The printer ships with the plate, vat, power supply and basic tools. You still need resin, nitrile gloves, isopropyl alcohol or a water-washable resin, and somewhere to wash and cure parts. ELEGOO sells its Mercury wash and cure stations separately. Liquid resin fumes need ventilation, so plan for an open window or a vented space.
Our verdict
Buy the Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra if you want sharp miniatures from a resin printer that sets itself up, and you can keep the room warm.
Skip it if you need a big build area or print in a cold space. Look at the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K instead.
More from ELEGOO in our Elegoo printer reviews, or line up other machines on our compare 3D printers page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra good?
Yes. Tom's Hardware gave it an Editor's Choice for its 9K detail, camera and automatic leveling. Reviewers flag strong plate adhesion on default settings and a need for a warm room.
What is the difference between the Elegoo Mars 5 and Mars 5 Ultra?
The Ultra has a 7-inch 9K screen (18 microns) against the Mars 5's 6.66-inch 4K (35 microns). It also adds tilt release for up to 150 mm/h, against 70 mm/h, and an AI camera. It costs $269 against $179.
Is the Elegoo Mars 5 good for beginners?
Yes. Both the Mars 5 and Mars 5 Ultra level themselves and run a self-check before printing, which removes the most common first-timer mistakes.
Is the Elegoo Mars 5 a resin printer?
Yes. Both models are MSLA resin printers. They cure liquid photopolymer resin one layer at a time with UV light shining through an LCD screen.
What is the Mars 5 Ultra build plate size?
The build volume is 153.36 × 77.76 × 165 mm, about 6.0 × 3.1 × 6.5 inches.
Sources
- ELEGOO US, Mars 5 Ultra product page
- ELEGOO US, Mars 5 product page
- Tom's Hardware, Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra review (Denise Bertacchi, September 2024)
- Goonhammer, The Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra (Mike Bettle-Shaffer, September 2025)
- Maker Hacks, Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra review (Chris Garrett, updated April 2025)
- All3DP, Elegoo reveals Mars 5 and Mars 5 Ultra
Researched and written by Ric Ruben.