If you’ve considered buying a 3D printer, you’ve probably also considered the cost of the 3D printer controller. While 3D printers themselves have become more accessible in terms of price, the convenience of a 3D printer-controller combo is still a major consideration. But the good news is that there are many different controllers that fit a wide range of budgets.
Here, we’ve rounded up the best 3D printer controllers to help you find the right one for your needs.
Read on to learn more.
Our Editor’s Best 3d Printer Controllers Reviews
- ăUse forăResin 3D printer mini heater designed for Resin 3D printers, it is small but powerful, for use in cold weather. It helps you to heat up the resin and rise the ambient temperature. Make your 3D printer work well, save your time and Resin material.
- ăProfessional designăOur temperature controller use in cold weather,when temperature lower than 75F/24C, will cause so many problems in LCD DLP 3D print. Such as Print not sticking to the bed, Layer adhesion, warming, and so on. Finally, printing fails.
- ăProfessionally manufacturedăOur 3D printer heater built-in high-precision industry temperature sensor, accurate to 0.1 â. Fireproof case, high-quality power cord, all professionally designed for your safe printing.
- ăSmall sizeăOur 3D printer Thermostat 10.8x5.7x3.2cm/4.25x5.24x1.25 in, 117grams, Prefect for 8-15 inch Resin 3D printer, It only takes 10 minutes from 40F to 80F, for use in cold weather.
- ăWarrantyăOne-year warranty. If the heater doesn't work within one year, contact us to get a free replacement.
- The fifth stepper motor output port can be customized as a Z-axis motor or a second extruder.
- Can be extended to control other accessories.
- Three field effect transistors, three heater / fan output ports, three thermistor circuits.
- Heated bed control, extra 11A fuse.
- Pololu board foot socket, can be easily replaced or removed.
- - Plug & Play : Easy Printing with KOKONI EC1, comes fully assembled and calibrated, saving you time and hassle. Just unpack, plug in, and start printing immediately. Enter the world of 3D printing effortlessly and see your creations come to life in no time.
- - Perfect for Kids & Beginners: Designed to be kid-friendly with simple APP controls, eliminates the need for adult assistance, featuring easy filament loading, offering auto bed leveling and massive pre-sliced library, making it an ideal entry-level FDM printer for kids and beginners that can be set up in minutes and occupies minimal space.
- - Safe and Quiet: Enjoy a peaceful printing experience with the EC1's ultra-quiet operation. This minimizes noise disruption, making it suitable for use in various settings. KOKONI PLA Filament ensures safe printing, being both non-toxic and odor-free, while also being biodegradable.
- - Weekly Updateds Model Library: Access thousands of toys and 3d models in KOKONI 3D APP with weekly and seasonal additions, alongside easy-to-use creator tools allowing you to upload or draw designs for effortless printingâa perfect gift for kids on Birthday, Christmas, Thanksgiving, or special occasions.
- - Space Saving & Small Size: Measuring only 189*272*231 mm, KOKONI EC1's stylish and compact design makes it ideal for any workspace or hobby room. Its small footprint allows for easy placement on desks or shelves, without sacrificing valuable space. This makes it suitable for various scenarios, from home, offices, classrooms to workshops and even libraries.
- All-in-one 3D printer motherboard
- A preconfigured firmware is preloaded onto the board.
- Stepper Drivers: 5x integrated 1/16th microstep motor drivers
- Digital trimpot motor control (no tiny knobs to tweak)
- This RAMBo 1.3 Kit is complete and is made by Ultimachine
- đĽMain Control Chip: Adopt STMicroelectronics' latest G0 series main control chip STM32G0B1RET6 or STM32G0B0RET6;
- đĽThree CNC Fan: Increase the heat dissipation controllable fan to reduce the printer temperature when the device is working;
- đĽIncreased Heat Sink: Redesign the drive heat sink, strengthen the drive heat dissipation capacity, and greatly improve the heat dissipation performance;
- đĽUSB Micro B: The PC communication USB interface is upgraded from Mini USB to Micro USB B, which is more adaptable;
- đĽOutput Power Supply: Increase SPI output port +3.3V power supply, external SPI sensor power supply voltage +3.3V and +5V are optional, support the motherboard to directly supply power to peripherals.
- 3D Printer Controller RAMPS 1.4 interfaces a Compatible Arduino Mega2560 board. The modular design includes plug in stepper drivers and extruder control electronics on an Arduino-compatible MEGA shield for easy service, part replacement, upgrade-ability and expansion
- 3D Printer Controller RAMPS 1.4 interfaces a Compatible Arduino Mega2560 board. The modular design includes plug in stepper drivers and extruder control electronics on an Arduino-compatible MEGA shield for easy service, part replacement, upgrade-ability and expansion
- With LCD 12864, you can easy connect it to your Ramps board using the "smart adapter" included. After connecting this panel to your Ramps you don't need your pc any more, the Smart Controller supplies power for your SD card. Further more all actions like calibration, axes movements can be done by just using the rotary encoder on the Smart Controller. Print your 3D designs without PC, just with a g-code design stored on the SD card.
- It is designed to fit the entire electronics needed for a RepRap in one small package for low cost
- Please Note : No technical support for this product.
- Quality Prints at High Speed: With PowerBoost 2.0 technology and Ultra Direct Extruder, AnkerMake M5C can achieve printing speeds of up to 500 mm/s while maintaining 0.1 mm precision, so you can create quality models faster and more efficiently.
- Easy Control From Anywhere: With Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, you can control the printer, monitor the status of your prints, and transfer sliced models directly from your mobile device. The user-friendly AnkerMake app is easy to use for beginners and pros alike.
- Next-Level Detail with Precision Mode: This all-new feature supports up to 50 Îźm resolution when using a 0.2 mm nozzle. Supported by multiple advanced algorithms, it makes fine printing faster and more efficient than ever before.
- Enduring Reliability & Wide Compatibility: With wear-resistant components and a 300°C all-metal hotend, this 3D printer is durable and versatile. It can handle a wide range of filament materials like PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU, and PLA-CF (Carbon Fiber).
- User-Friendly Features for Easy Printing: This 3D printer has 49-point (7x7) automatic bed leveling, an integrated design for easy installation, and power and filament outage recovery functions. The PEI flexible magnetic plate provides a stable and easy-to-remove printing surface, making it an ideal choice for beginners.
- ăProduct ItemăA must-have prusa mk3 3d printer part - LCD 2004 Smart Display Controller, Size: 15cm x 5.8cm. Compatible with MK2.5 MK3 MK3S MK3S+
- ăFeatureăThis Smart Controller contains a SD-Card reader, a rotary encoder and a 20 Character x 4 Line LCD display. You can easily connect it to your Ramps board using the "smart adapter" included to control the heatbed/v6 hotend nozzle temperature, adjust Z leveling/Printing Speed, load/unload the 3d printing material PLA, PETG, ABS, Carbonfiber etc.
- ăConvenientăAfter connecting this panel to your Ramps you don't need your pc any more, the Smart Controller supplies power for your SD card. Further more all actions like calibration, axes movements can be done by just using the rotary encoder on the Smart Controller. Print your 3D designs without PC, just with a g-code design stored on the SD card.
- ăFirmwareăYou need Marlinfirmware v3 or newer. If you are using older firmware, you must re-flash your board. Support Einsy Rambo 1.2e Mainboard with EXP1,EXP2 Interfaces
- ăPackage Includesă1 x LCD2004,2 x Connecting Cable.
- ă300mm/s High Speed 3D Printer&Accuracy Of 0.1mmăGeeetech Thunder fast 3D printer with acceleration of 5000mm/s² for X-axis and 4000mm/s² for Y-axis. Geeetech Thunder has 4 speed modes to choose from, print speed can reach 300mm/s, will save 70% printing time. While maintaining high speed, the high speed 3D printer runs at the accuracy of 0.1mm.
- ăFor Higher Precision DesignăThe X/Y-axis of the FDM 3D printer are equipped with Closed-Loop Drive will produce larger torque, faster response for stepper motor, let the model remain stable in the high-speed printing. Dual Drive All Metal Gear Extruder, provides a stronger torque to ensure a constant supply of filament. Geeetech Thunder equip with Larger Volume Nozzle - 70W High Heating Module, the filament will not jam as much in the tube, nozzle or hotend.
- ăMore Stable in PrintingăThe 3D printers comes with an All-Metal Constrctuion, net weight of 10.7kg. Dual Z-axis equipped with Special T-type Reinforced Structure, specially desighed a professional damping structure for Y-axis. The fully fixed hotbed design which can effectively solve the deformation of the hotbed. The auto leveling Mizar S comes with a magnetic plate and steel sheet, has stronger adhesion and easier to remove the models. Printing size is10.0 x 10.0 x 10.2 in.
- ăIntelligent Manual & Auto Leveling 3D PrinterăGeetech Thunder is an auto leveling 3D printer with the dual-leveling system supports one-button automatic bed leveling. It also supports digital manual leveling with touch screen control height adjustment, distance per adjustment 0.1mm. So you needn't adjust the screws to leveling the hot bed but you can also level the hot bed by A4 paper rubs to the nozzle.
- ăMore Function 3D PrintersăThe 3D printers body is pre-installed and every cable has indicate name, easy to install. Thunder has super silent motherboard, printing sound < 50dBs. Filament break detection alarm and resume printing function. There is an RGB tri-color LED installed near the hotend, and you can adjust the mode as needed, it will be easier for you to see the details of the model.
- ăIntelligent Manual and Auto Leveling 3D PrinterăMizar S 3d printers with dual-leveling system supports one-button automatic bed leveling. It also have Intelligent Manual Leveling mode supports digital manual leveling with touch screen control height adjustment, distance per adjustment 0.1mm. So you needn't adjust the screws to leveling the hot bed but you can also level the hot bed by A4 paper rubs to the nozzle. Accommodates the needs of beginners, amateurs, and experts.
- ăDesign for Higher PrecisionăThe 3D printers with Dual Z-axis and Y-axis design can effectively improved print stability make your models more delicate. Dual gear extruder can offer power The dual gear extruder 3D printer provides a stronger torque to ensure a constant supply of filament. So the Mizar S 3D printers can printe with an accuracy of 0.1mm. The printer also comes with a belt tensioner, so you can easily adjust the belt slack at any time to achieve the best printing results.
- ăNew Design Hotbedă The hotbed adopts a fully fixed design which can effectively solve the deformation of the hotbed. The auto leveling Mizar S comes with a magnetic plate and steel sheet, has stronger adhesion and easier to remove the models. Print size is 255 x 255 x 260mm / (10.0 x 10.0 x 10.2 in).
- ăMore Intelligent 3D PrinterăAuto leveling 3D printer Mizar S has LCD touch screen control function. It also has filament break detection alarm and resume printing function. The highly intelligent 3D printers will make your printing process faster.
- ăSuper Silent Motherboard & Open SourseăMizar S motherboard with high-performance 32-bit MCU, can print at a faster speed and effectively reduce the noise of the stepper motor, printing sound < 50dBs, will not disturb your work, life and study. There is an RGB tri-color LED installed near the hotend, and you can adjust the mode as needed, it will be easier for you to see the details of the model.
Best 3d Printer Controllers Buying Guide
Before choosing the best 3D printer controller you should consider following options:
1. RAM Memory: RAM memory is the fastest form of computer memory. It acts as a temporary storage location for the operating system and program files a computer uses.
For 3D printer controllers, RAM memory is used to store information while programs run. It is important that you purchase a 3D printer controller with enough RAM memory to run the programs you will use.
If you are planning to print large, complex objects, you will need a 3D printer controller with at least 1GB of RAM memory. If you are using your 3D printer controller for simpler 3D printing jobs, 512MB will be enough.
2. Flash Memory: Flash memory is a non-volatile storage medium. This means that it can store information even when the power is off.
The information stored in flash memory is used to control the printerâs functions. 3D printer controllers with more flash memory have a higher level of customization.
If you are new to 3D printing and are unsure what settings to use when printing, a 3D printer controller with a limited amount of flash memory may be best.
3. ROM Memory: ROM memory is a non-rewritable form of computer memory that holds an operating system and program instructions.
For a 3D printer controller, ROM memory is used to store the operating system. A higher amount of ROM memory allows the 3D printer controller to run more efficiently and with fewer errors.
A 3D printer controller with 512MB of ROM memory is recommended for new users. Experienced users may find that a 3D printer controller with 1GB of ROM memory is more than enough.
What else you should know about 3d printer controllers
1. What are the different types of 3D printer controllers?
There are three main types of printer controllers:
1. Stand-alone controllers: These controllers are typically dedicated to a single printer and are not connected to a network. They are typically used for lower-end printers.
2. Embedded controllers: These controllers are built into the printer itself and are used for mid-range and high-end printers.
3. Networked controllers: These controllers are connected to a network and can be used to control multiple printers.
2. What are the benefits of using a 3D printer controller?
A printer controller is a device that helps manage printing jobs and sends them to the appropriate printer. It can be used to monitor the progress of print jobs, track printer usage, and control access to printers.
3. What are the features of a 3D printer controller?
Some features of a printer controller may include:
-The ability to connect to and control multiple printers simultaneously
-A user-friendly interface for managing print jobs
-Support for a variety of printing technologies (e.g., inkjet, laser, thermal, etc.)
-Advanced features for managing color printing, paper size and orientation, and other print job settings
4. How does a 3D printer controller work?
A printer controller is a device that connects a printer to a computer. It allows the computer to send data to the printer and receive data from the printer.
5. What are the limitations of a 3D printer controller?
Some printer controllers only work with specific types of printers, so if you change printers you may need to also change the controller. Printers also require specific types and amounts of ink or toner, which the controller may not be able to accommodate.
Conclusion
On the market, there are numerous best 3d printer controllers. Hopefully, the list of the top ten best 3d printer controllers will save you time researching and deciding on the best one for you.