Elegoo Mars 4 DLP review

Why I still find DLP interesting, and why I cannot unreservedly recommend this one

I really like DLP printers. That is worth saying clearly before I get into the limitations. The technology has genuine advantages that the LCD-dominant market has largely ignored, and the Mars 4 DLP is a real implementation of those advantages at a consumer price. The problem is that Elegoo did not follow this up with anything, which turns the purchase into a bet on a product line that stopped at one.

What it is and what it is not

The Mars 4 DLP is a Gen 4 printer from 2023 that uses a DLP projector rather than an LCD panel to expose each layer. Build volume is 132 x 74 x 150 mm. There is no replaceable LCD screen; there is no LCD screen at all. The projector is rated to 20,000 hours, which is roughly ten times the expected lifetime of a mono LCD panel on any comparable machine.

What it is not is a printer for high-volume printing or large models. The build plate is small by any reasonable measure, and the output quality against same-price 8K LCD machines is honest but not impressive. The effective resolution sits somewhere around 30 microns in practice, which is respectable without being class-leading.

What it definitely is not is the start of a product line you can grow with. Elegoo has not announced a Mars 5 DLP. This machine is a one-off in the catalogue.

What it gets right

The fanless operation is the first thing it gets right, and if you have ever shared a room with a resin printer for a printing session you will understand immediately why this matters. Every other machine in the Mars range runs fans from power-on and pitches them up and down during motor movement. The Mars 4 DLP is quiet in a way that changes the experience of having it in your workspace.

The no-screen anxiety argument is real. The LCD panel on a standard resin printer is the thing you cannot afford to damage. Spill resin on it and you are replacing it. Crack it handling a stuck print and you are replacing it. With a DLP projector, that entire category of failure simply does not exist. For a first-time buyer nervous about the hardware, that reduction in anxiety has genuine value.

The forgiving exposure window is a practical benefit that shows up in calibration. On an LCD machine, exposure settings need to be dialled in carefully because minor drift from the target produces visible quality differences. DLP is more tolerant of the same variation, which means that early-ownership calibration sessions are less stressful and settings from other people’s profiles translate more reliably.

What it does not get right

The build plate is the main limitation and it is a significant one. At 132 x 74 x 150 mm, you are fitting roughly 16 supported 28mm miniatures per session. A Saturn 3 fits more than twice that. If you print for a game where you need units rather than individual figures, the small plate becomes the constraint on every session.

The print quality comparison against same-price 8K LCD machines does not resolve in the DLP’s favour. The technology’s advantages around light uniformity and exposure consistency are real, but they do not translate into output that visually beats an 18 micron LCD print. For fine miniature detail at 28mm scale, the LCD machines at the same price point deliver more.

The projector longevity advantage only materialises if you print continuously for years. A hobbyist printing two or three times a week over the typical ownership period of this class of machine will probably never approach the point where the LCD screen on a competitor would have needed replacing. The economic argument for the projector is a real one at high volumes; it is theoretical for everyone else.

Honest verdict

The Mars 4 DLP is a machine I genuinely like thinking about, which is different from a machine I would confidently recommend to a new buyer. The fanless operation and the no-screen anxiety are real advantages. The small plate and the modest print quality relative to same-price LCD competitors are real disadvantages.

The closer question is what happens next. Elegoo did not follow the Mars 4 DLP with a Mars 5 DLP. That makes this machine a dead end in the catalogue rather than the start of a platform. Buying into a product line with no successor means accepting that when this printer needs replacing, the replacement will be an LCD machine anyway.

For the full comparison of current resin printers and a clear recommendation on what to buy today, the resin printer buying guide has the table.

Pros

• No replaceable LCD screen means the single most anxiety-inducing part of resin printer ownership simply does not apply.
• Fanless operation is a genuine quality-of-life improvement after years of pitch-changing fan noise from every other machine in the lineup.
• The projector is rated to 20,000 hours, which dwarfs the 2,000 hour lifetime of a typical LCD panel by a significant margin.
• Exposure windows are more forgiving than LCD: minor settings drift produces smaller differences in output than the same drift on a mono LCD machine.
• Tempered glass screen protector as standard, which is a practical addition at this price.

Cons

• Build volume of 132 x 74 x 150 mm is genuinely small, fitting roughly 16 miniatures where a Saturn 3 fits 40 or more.
• Print output against same-price 8K LCD competitors is not favourable: the effective resolution sits around 30 microns in practice but the pixel density does not match a 35 micron LCD.
• Out of stock with no successor: Elegoo has not announced a Mars 5 DLP, so this is a dead end of the product line.
• In cold rooms or cold ambient conditions, fanless and heatless operation means the resin runs cool, which can affect layer adhesion.
• The long projector lifetime only pays back for high-volume users who print consistently over years; casual hobbyists will likely replace the machine before the economics matter.

Who it is for

Hobbyists who want a quiet, low-anxiety first printer and are willing to accept a smaller build plate in exchange for the peace of mind that comes with not owning an LCD screen.

Who it is not for

Volume printers, anyone needing more than a small plate of miniatures per session, or buyers who want to stay on an active product platform with a clear upgrade path.

What I would buy instead

The Elegoo Mars 4 at $149 gives you 18 micron pixels on a slightly larger plate with a proven active product line above it. DLP is interesting but the Mars 4 LCD is the practical choice for most buyers.

Last reviewed 1 May 2026.