Elegoo Mars 3

The Elegoo Mars 3 is a 2021 desktop resin printer and the first Mars with a 4K monochrome screen. It aims at people printing miniatures, busts and master models who want fine detail without a long setup: it ships assembled and the plate levels with two bolts.

Build volume is 143×89.6×175 mm with a 6.6-inch 4098×2560 screen at a 35 μm pixel. The mono panel and a 36-LED COB light source at 405 nm cure a layer in about 2.5 seconds and push Z speed to 30–50 mm/h, against 22.5 mm/h on color 2K machines like the Mars Pro. Control is a 3.5-inch touchscreen; there is no wireless, so files come off a USB stick. It weighs 5.2 kg, measures 227×227×438.5 mm and ships with a 24 V 3 A (72 W) brick.

Pros

• The 35 μm pixel smooths diagonals and curves well past the 2K generation — Tom's Hardware picks out individual beard hairs on a macro shot
• About 2.5 seconds per layer: a large model finished in 7 hours 22 minutes in the Tom's Hardware test
• The plate is 36% larger than the Mars 2 Pro, so a big figure or a batch of minis fits in one job (3D Printer Bee)
• Two-bolt leveling instead of four screws — the simplest calibration in the line for a first-time owner
• A 0.127 mm release film and sandblasted plate keep thin supports attached and improve adhesion (Tom's Hardware)
• Power button and USB sit on the front, handy with printers side by side, and a one-year ChiTuBox Pro licence is included

Cons

• No carbon filter and no hood gasket, so nothing holds the resin smell back — the Mars 2 Pro and Mars 3 Pro both have a filter
• A plastic shell replaces the metal one and weight drops to 5.2 kg; a teardown found the base plate thinned from 8.2 to 6.2 mm, which adds Z play
• Exposure is uneven across the field: in a nine-cube test the 0.1 mm gap failed on every cube outside the centre, and the stock film had to be replaced
• A documented family fault: Elegoo itself describes the touchscreen restarting when a print starts on the Mars 3, 3 Pro and 4, traced to the 24 V 3 A adapter or the power boards

The Mars 3 suits people printing tabletop miniatures, busts and small master models who can run it in a ventilated room or vent it themselves. Experienced users get solid detail for little money and beginners get simple leveling and a familiar slicer, but odour control and a better release film are on you.

Bottom line: a capable 4K printer for its era, now discontinued and sold as leftover stock. If you want a current machine with warranty and support, look at the Mars 4 or Mars 5, and at the Mars 5 Ultra if auto leveling and a camera matter.

Reviews

• Tom's Hardware — Elegoo Mars 3 Review: 4K Resin Printing on a Budget
• 3D Printer Bee — Elegoo Mars 3 Review and Test Prints
• 3D Printerly — Elegoo Mars 3 Review
• Elegoo Wiki — Mars 3 / 3 Pro / 4: Restart During Printing (official troubleshooting)