In the Matrix films, the world is dominated by a bunch of very grumpy machines that have not only a delightful time making human lives a misery but also draining us of our energy.
Back here though, in the blue-tick verified world of 3D printing, we also live in a world dominated by machines, and we call them Ender 3 clones. Like the Matrix’s naughty metal companions, Ender 3 clones can also drain your energy. Trying to keep track of them all can lead to a list of symptoms commonly seen on the back of a pharmaceutical product. We’re talking headaches, nausea, and fatigue. Maybe even an icky tummy.
The point is, there are definitely too many Ender 3 clones in the 3D printing landscape. But, are there now too many actual Ender 3s too? This is the new one, the Creality Ender 3 V2 Neo. Along with a couple of other new Neos recently announced — that takes us up to 10 Ender 3s, by the way.
Now, the word “Neo” obviously means something new or revived, but is there really much new about the Ender 3 V2? Actually, yes. There’s now Creality’s CR Touch automatic bed leveling (ABL) system installed, as well as a full-metal Bowden extruder, and a spring steel PC-coated magnetic build plate.
Join us as we plug ourselves into the specs of this new Ender 3 V2 Neo, and discover if it’s revived anything more than just some attention in an old machine.
Features
Automatic bed leveling
Looking through the specs of the new Creality Ender 3 V2 Neo here is going to be all about spotting what’s new and what’s the same as before. The first new addition is the inclusion of automatic bed leveling from stock, which comes courtesy of Creality’s own CR Touch system.
CR Touch is obviously inspired by BLTouch, and this sort of bed leveling system works by using a touch probe to “scan” the surface of the bed and account for any detected unevenness. The CR Touch system pokes 16 separate points during its routine, and we’ve found it works excellently on other Creality machines that have it equipped.
It’ll save time and effort, and, with a little tweak of a Z-offset here and there, more or less guarantee a high-quality first layer. Also, manual bed leveling just sucks, so ABL’s inclusion with the Neo is a big thumbs up from us.
Full metal Bowden extruder
The Ender 3 V2 has always been a 3D printer equipped with a Bowden extruder, but Creality says it has upgraded the Neo version to feature an all-metal extruder. This should mean greater durability and superior filament handling. Creality also claims it has a greater extrusion force but isn’t any more specific than that.
Flexible magnetic build plate
Creality’s PC-coated flexible magnetic spring steel build plate was excellent on the Ender 3 S1 we tested earlier this year. It works well with all the main consumer 3D printing filaments and is easy to whip off, whereupon you’ll flex it and detach the print. It’s also durable and easy to clean, so bonus points there too.
All in all, this is one of the best build surfaces we’ve tested this year, and certainly a step up from the old carborundum glass plate that was present before.
New UI
Creality has said the Ender 3 V2 Neo will feature a new UI that allows you to preview the model you’re about to print, which could be useful if you’ve lost track of file names or didn’t slice something yourself. We imagine there will be further changes (hopefully improvements) to the UI, but this was never much cause for concern on the old Ender 3 V2 and really isn’t all that important in the grand scheme of things.
Like before, it’s still 4.3-inches in diameter and controlled via a rotary knob. Simple, and effective.
Gantry Design
The new Ender 3 V2 Neo appears to have adopted the Ender 3 S1’s gantry design, which features handsome extrusion covers and angular covers over the Z passive blocks. Probably just a design tweak, but it’s a smarter look for sure.
Speaking of construction, the Ender 3 S1 actually features two Z-axis motors and leadscrews, but the Ender 3 V2 Neo has just one, the same as the old Ender 3 V2.
Building Blocks
Back onto features that are unchanged now. Creality has kept the Ender 3 V2 Neo’s build volume and temperature sets identical to the Ender 3 V2. So, that means there’s 220 x 220 x 250 mm worth of space to print within, and the nozzle temperature will reach 260 °C while the bed will get up to 100 °C.
This is enough heat to be working with the popular consumer filaments like PLA, ABS, and PETG. TPU is an option as well, but you might need to tweak extrusion settings a little bit to get it working with the Bowden tube effectively.
Mainboard
Creality is pointing out on its marketing materials for the new V2 Neo that it has a very quiet 32-bit mainboard — just 50 dB, it says. That’s fairly quiet for a 3D printer.
We suspect this is really the same board that was present on the Ender 3 V2, namely, the V4.2.7. The board features integrated TMC2225 steppers as well as ports for micro-SD and micro-USB.
Further Features
Additional features you’ll find in the V2 Neo include:
- Simple 3-step assembly: The very simple assembly is useful for beginners, and those who are impatient to get 3D printing.
- Toolbox: We use these little integrated toolboxes for storing snacks, but normal people use them as intended.
- Belt tensioners: A useful pre-installed way to tighten your belts, belt tensioners are a welcome addition to any 3D printer.
Price
While the old Ender 3 V2 was often available for somewhere around $250 or so, the new Ender 3 V2 Neo will set you back $299. It’s not a bad price for the specification on offer, especially given the new features like automatic bed leveling, the all-metal extruder, and the flexible print surface.
There are, however, plenty of rivals in and around this price point, and machines boasting better specs just a little higher in the food chain. We’ll tell you more about those in the Similar Printers segment a little below.
Release Date & Availability
It’s only just been loaded up onto the sites of sellers across the web, but the Creality Ender 3 V2 Neo is available to order right now. Stock isn’t in every location just yet, however, so delivery times can vary a bit. There is stock in Creality’s Chinese warehouses, though shipping abroad from there can lead to significantly higher costs — depending on where you’re located. Something to keep in mind, as well as any potential import taxes.
Creality has said the original Ender 3 V2 is not going to be discontinued for the time being, as it wants to see how the market reacts to this new Ender 3 V2 Neo. So, you might see the old V2 sticking around on a permanent basis. As usual, it’s very difficult to predict what Creality is going to do next but the Neo seems like it’s here to stay, at least.
Tech Specs
General Specifications
- Technology: Fused deposition modeling (FDM)
- Year: 2022
- Assembly: Partially assembled
- Mechanical arrangement: Cartesian-XZ-head
- Manufacturer: Creality
3D Printer Properties
- Build volume: 220 x 220 x 250 mm
- Feeder system: Bowden
- Print head: Single nozzle
- Nozzle size: 0.4 mm
- Max. hot end temperature: 260 ℃
- Max. heated bed temperature: 100 ℃
- Print bed material: PC-coated spring steel sheet
- Frame: Aluminum
- Bed leveling: Automatic
- Display: 4.3-inch LCD
- Connectivity: SD card, USB
- Print recovery: Yes
- Filament sensor: No
- Camera: No
Materials
- Filament diameter: 1.75 mm
- Third-party filament: Yes
- Filament materials: PLA, ABS, PETG, Flexibles
Software
- Recommended slicer: Creality Slicer, Cura, Simplify3D, Repetier-Host
- Operating system: Windows, Mac OSX, Linux
- File types: STL, OBJ, AMF
Dimensions and Weight
- Frame dimensions: 438 x 424 x 472 mm
- Weight: 9.8 kg
Similar Printers
Regardless of your 3D printer budget, you’ll probably want to pick up one of the best ones. We’d recommend heading over to our Best 3D Printers Guide for a run down of the best machines on the market. Or, if you have a tighter budget, why not have a look through our Best Budget Printers Guide?
Creality Ender 3 S1
If you’ve a little more money to spend you can opt for what’s probably the best Ender 3 we’ve tested – the S1. The star of this particular show is the direct extruder, which handles filaments brilliantly and is incredibly easy to load and unload. This is a great machine that is effortless to use and prints at a very high level. What more could you want?
Anycubic Kobra
Currently our pick for the best 3D printer under $300, the Anycubic Kobra pairs reliable automatic bed leveling with a direct extruder and does it for a very, very fair price. It does feel a bit cheap in places, but it’s a high-quality 3D printer that offers a lot for the money.
Voxelab Aquila S2
The souped-up version of the Voxelab Aquila, the S2, offers a direct extruder like the other machines on this list. However, we found it to be a frustrating machine that featured mismatched spares and poor bed adhesion — and Voxelab’s own adhesion to proprietary nozzles left us feeling a bit meh.
Correction Feb 21, 2024: A previous version of this article erroneously stated the Ender 3 V2 comes with a filament sensor.
Lead image source: Creality Store
License: The text of "Creality Ender 3 V2 Neo: Specs, Price, Release & Reviews" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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