Creality Ender 5 Motherboard - V1.1.4

The industry of hobbyist 3D Printing is always exciting, with constant improvements, upgrades and iterations being introduced on a regular basis by dedicated companies like Creality 3D. And in the spirit of constant evolution of the industry, Creality have just recently introduced their new Creality Ender 5 Motherboard V1.1.4, which is an upgrade from the previous Creality V1.1.3 Motherboard, featuring slightly improved power delivery, better future-proofing, as well as an updated ATMEGA chip to ensure a longer lifespan before becoming irrelevant or outdated.

Although this board has been improved in a variety of very minor ways, the key improvements that we’re interested include:

• A change of the FTDI chip to a CH340G chip, which we expect is because the previous FTDI chips were high quality clones instead of the originals, and thus has the chance of becoming blocked with current and future FTDI driver updates. With the CH340G chip, however, this is no longer a concern, as the CH340G drivers are open-source, allowing clones and reverse-engineers chips to stay up to date and not get blocked from future updates.
• An updated ATMEGA1284P chip, which seems to be made to a higher quality specification, with an updated design to ensure the chip stays current in modern times.
• The addition of Smoother, quieter stepper drivers, which are not TMC drivers, but instead are "StepStick" variations of the classic A4988 Stepper Drivers. This reduces noise and vibration while still offering the same characteristics that previous models offered.

So if these upgrades/updates sound good to you, then board is a great choice to upgrade your Creality Ender 5 with. However, it’s important to note that, while the V1.1.4 motherboard is technically compatible with the Ender 3 and Ender 3 Pro as well, Creality 3D have taken the initiative in flashing these particular models with the ideal Firmware for the standard Creality Ender 5 3D Printer. This is fantastic, as it not only ensures you have the ideal Firmware for your particular machine, but it also saves users a lot of time and effort in the case that they want updated Firmware to work with.

Please Note: This Creality V1.1.4 Motherboard has been Flashed with Ender 5 Firmware, but if you’re looking for alternative motherboard versions or boards with different Firmware versions flashed onto them, be sure to take a look at our Controller Boards section for the full list of options.

Typical Applications for the Creality V1.1.4 Ender 5 Pre-Flashed Motherboard:

Although these Controller Boards are certainly compatible with other 3D Printers like the Ender 3 and Ender 3 Pro, they have been pre-flashed specifically for the Creality Ender 5. As such, we recommend this board only for the Ender 5, as modified Firmware could certainly act against you if you try to use for other printers instead.

Additional Resources:

• Although we don't typically recommend that users flash their own Firmware, we have chosen to share the updated Ender 5 Firmware Hex for advanced users in our downloads section at the top of this description. However, please understand that flashing your own firmware will void your warranty, which is why we strive to provide pre-flashed boards like this and the Ender 3 Motherboard, so users can enjoy updated firmware and full support without any unnecessary risks.

Although Creality 3D have been working within the industry since 2014, their addition of the Creality CR-10 series is what really catapulted them to the front line of competition, as it offered substantially better quality compared to other 3D printers – while simultaneously reducing the cost and complexities of the machines.

The quality of Creality’s 3D Printers and accessories shows through in their market history, with the brand selling around 3000 printers in their first year on the market, followed by about 10,000 sales over the next year. Now, Creality easily sells around 30,000 or more 3D printers each year, with sales continuously rising as they bring out more models. These are impressive numbers when considering the fact that they entered the industry as unknown competitors, quickly rising through the ranks and now even competing with Wanhao and similar top brands.

If you are looking for excellent 3D Printers that offer affordability without compromising on quality, Creality 3D is certainly a brand that you should take note of. From the basic Creality Ender 2 all the way up to the large build volume Creality CR-10 S5, there are few other brands who are capable of offering such a refined package while still maintaining some of the most enticing prices in the industry.