Is Upgrading Your 3D Printer with a BigTreeTech Board Actually Worth It?
Thinking of swapping your basic printer board for a shiny new BigTreeTech (BTT) mainboard? You’re not alone. Many makers hype these boards as must-have upgrades—but is the hype legit, or just marketing fluff? Let’s dig into the realities of upgrading your 3D printer with a BTT board, to help you decide if it’s worth your time, effort, and money.
First, What Exactly Are BigTreeTech Boards?
In short, BTT boards are aftermarket controller boards built specifically for 3D printers. They typically offer:
- Quiet stepper motor drivers (like TMC2209 or TMC5160)
- More processing power (typically STM32 chips)
- Advanced features and easy firmware upgrades
- Convenient connectivity (Wi-Fi, USB-C slots, etc.)
Think of it as transplanting the brains of your printer, giving it a fresh boost in capability and features.
The Bigtreetech Manta M8P control board uses the 32-bit main control chip of the ARM Cortex-M0+ series STM32G0B1VET6 with a core frequency of 64 MHz. High performance MOSFETs are used to reduce heat build-up
Why You Might Want to Upgrade:
1. Seriously Quiet Printing (Finally!)
If your printer sounds like a dying goat struggling through Mozart, a BTT board upgrade with silent stepper drivers will drastically cut down printer noise. For a lot of friends sleeping next to printers (and spouses tired of the noise), this alone can be worth it.
2. Future-Proofing
BigTreeTech boards are massively flexible and firmware-friendly. They easily play nice with Marlin, Klipper, and even RepRap firmware. So if you love keeping your printer upgraded and experimenting with firmware, a BTT board has your back.
3. Better Print Quality & Performance
With more powerful processors, you get smoother movements, better speed handling, more responsive interfaces, and reduced stuttering or skipped steps. Especially with advanced firmware features (e.g. pressure advance or input shaping available via Klipper), you’ll enjoy visibly improved print results.
4. You’re a DIY’er at Heart
Let’s be real: half the fun of 3D printing is tweaking, modifying, and optimizing hardware. If tinkering is your jam, you’ll adore the customization opportunities provided by BTT boards.
But Wait—Consider These Before You Dive In:
1. Are You Comfortable Tinkering?
Installing a new board involves wiring, firmware flashing, calibration, and troubleshooting. If you panic just reading that, maybe pause before clicking that “Buy Now” button.
2. How Good (or Bad) Is Your Current Setup?
If you’re currently running a quality board (Duet, recent SKR board, or stock Creality Quiet boards), the performance jump may not feel dramatic—more evolution than revolution. However, if your printer uses a cheap stock board with noisy drivers (hello Creality 8-bit boards!), you’ll find the upgrade extremely satisfying.
3. Budget Check
Depending on the BTT model, stepper drivers, and add-ons (screens, Wi-Fi modules, etc.), upgrades can run anywhere from $40 to $150. Make sure you’re financially ready—otherwise it might be wiser investing in filament, solid hardware parts (like extruders/hotends), or simply an upgraded printer altogether.
So, Is a BTT Board Upgrade Worth It? Our Verdict:
If you care about quieter prints, smoother performance, firmware flexibility, and love tinkering: YES! BTT upgrades deliver big-time in overall print experience and customization.
If your current printer already has a solid newer-board with silent drivers: Maybe. The incremental benefits may be minor and you might get better bang for your buck elsewhere.
If you hate messing with hardware, wires, firmware, and just want hassle-free prints: Probably not. Yes, you’ll see some improvements, but the initial setup will probably leave you stressed and unhappy.
SKR MINI E3 V3.0 board is equipped with a large heat sink for TMC2209 driver, it can attach to stepper driver by two screws, easy to install and remove, for the most important, it can increase 20% heat dissipation ability of driver compared to small blue heat sink.
Final Thoughts (and a Bit of Snark):
Upgrading your printer can feel like buying luxurious seats and new tires for your old Toyota. Will your Corolla turn into a Ferrari? Nope. Will you enjoy a smoother, nicer ride? Definitely. BigTreeTech boards won’t miraculously fix printing problems caused by poor mechanics or bad calibration—but they’ll deliver noticeably improved performance, quieter operation, and increased flexibility for most setups.
So, for those craving a quieter existence, tinkering fun, or printer-performance nirvana, go ahead and treat yourself to that BTT board upgrade. Worst-case scenario, you’ll get to flex your troubleshooting and wiring skills. Best-case, your printer transforms into a precise, quiet, printing machine you’ll love even more.
Happy upgrading!
