An Ender 3 V3 firmware update starts with the exact model, installed board and selected release. The Ender-3 V3 SE runs Marlin and has separate mainboard and knob-screen firmware. Follow the complete card-update instructions for the matching SE package. The Ender-3 V3 KE and the CoreXZ Ender-3 V3 / V3 Plus run Creality OS, a Klipper fork, and use model-specific USB or over-the-air updates. Confirm the package and the update method before copying files.
Which machine, which file
| Ender-3 V3 SE | Ender-3 V3 KE | Ender-3 V3 / V3 Plus (CoreXZ) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firmware base | Marlin; match the installed board and processor to the SE release | Creality OS (Klipper fork), model code F005 | Creality OS (Klipper fork) |
| Version cited in the download sources | V1.1.0 | V1.1.0.15 | V1.2.3.28 |
| Update payload | Complete matching release package; preserve its mainboard files and screen directories | .img, about 113 MB | .img |
| Media | Card type and format specified for each slot in the selected release instructions | USB stick, FAT32 4096, or OTA | USB stick, FAT32 4096, or OTA |
| Recovery path | Reflash from card | .ingenic image over MicroUSB with the Ingenic cloner | Same as KE |
The versions above identify the releases cited from Creality’s download pages for the SE, KE and V3. Check those pages for the release you intend to install. Creality’s SE platformio.ini describes source build targets; it does not identify the board installed in your printer.
Ender-3 V3 SE: match the board and preserve the package
The official SE V1.1.0 download uses the package identifier HWCR4NS200320C13C14_SWV1.1.0_GD303STM32F401. Its hardware identifier names the C13/C14 revisions, and the processor identifiers in the package name are GD303 and STM32F401. Match the installed board revision and processor to the release’s compatibility instructions before flashing. The model name alone is not a board identification. If inspection is needed, switch off and unplug the printer first; if the markings or package compatibility are unclear, have Creality support identify the correct release before proceeding.
- Download the matching release and read its complete mainboard and screen instructions, including update order, card requirements and completion indicators. Prepare the storage as that release specifies.
- For the V1.1.0 package, Creality instructs extracting all files to the storage root. Preserve the extracted directory structure and supplied filenames. Do not select only a
.bin, flatten subfolders or add an outer archive folder. - For the screen update, preserve
TJC_SET/tjc.tftbeneath the card root when that folder is supplied. The SE screen-update discussion documents why the completeTJC_SETfolder matters. Use the screen slot and the mainboard slot only for the steps assigned to them by the release instructions. - Carry out the updates in the selected release’s specified order. Power off before inserting the card where instructed, then let the update reach its documented completion state without interrupting power. Remove the update media as directed once complete.
- Verify both mainboard and screen versions against the package, then run leveling and check the first layer. Keep the screen and mainboard versions paired as the release specifies.
The screen file’s path is relative to the storage root, alongside the other extracted release contents:
storage root/
<other files and directories supplied by the selected release>
TJC_SET/
tjc.tftThis shows the screen-folder nesting, not a substitute for the selected package’s complete file list. Retain every additional file required by that release. If its instructions differ, use those instructions rather than a filename, timing estimate or screen downgrade copied from an older forum report.
Ender-3 V3 KE and CoreXZ V3: OTA or a stick
Creality’s own KE release notes give two methods. OTA: connect the printer to Wi-Fi, open the update entry on the touchscreen and wait. USB: download the .img from Creality Cloud, put it on a stick, plug it in. The V3-series rooted-firmware page on the Creality Helper Script wiki fills in the detail Creality leaves out: format the stick FAT32 with a 4096 allocation size (exFAT works on some drives), copy the .img to the root with nothing else on the drive, and a popup announcing a new update appears on the screen. Press Upgrade, wait, and remove the stick only once the home screen is back. The CoreXZ V3 procedure is the same; when the November 2024 update landed, a forum post summarised the manual route as “Copy to an empty USB. Turn off printer. Insert USB and turn printer on.” The same build added Settings, System, Expert mode, Z Offset so the offset persists between prints; if your V3 still forgets its Z offset, an update fixes it without any tuning.
The KE’s GitHub release carries two assets: Ender-3_V3_KE_F005_ota_img_V1.1.0.12.img at 113 MB, which is the normal update, and Ender-3_V3_KE_1.1.0.12.ingenic at 124 MB, which is the full recovery image. Do not try to update with the .ingenic; it is for the cloner tool described below.
What an update wipes, and what to save first
The KE release notes are blunt about this. If you have installed Fluidd or Mainsail, the update overwrites their configuration, so save printer.cfg and any macros first. The update also unbinds the printer from Creality Cloud. And with the 8 GB internal storage full, uploading a file can freeze the system; the documented way out is a flash over the USB cable rather than a stick. Copy off any G-code you want to keep, and budget for recalibration, input shaping and reinstalling any rooted extras afterwards. If the notes list nothing you need, skip the update.
After any KE or V3 update, Creality’s notes say to open Settings, Self-check, tick Automatic Z Offset and Auto Bed Leveling, and run it. If the KE’s stock UI is your only reason for staying put, the Klipper vs Marlin comparison on KlipperLab covers what the rooted front ends add, and the ADXL345 input-shaper walkthrough is the same procedure you repeat after the update wipes your shaper values.
On the SE, a mainboard update can reset EEPROM settings. The cited modified-firmware instructions end with “reset printer and run autolevel”; follow the selected stock release’s reset and calibration steps, then check the Z offset on a first layer using How to set Z offset on Ender 3 V3.
How to verify
On the SE, the definitive check is over USB: send M115 from any host and Marlin returns a FIRMWARE_NAME string with the build and date. If the board reports the new version but menus are missing or mislabelled, the screen firmware is the mismatched half. On the KE and V3, the update popup names the version it is about to install, and after reboot Settings should report that same number.
The functional test is a 20 mm calibration cube at 0.2 mm layers in PLA, 200 °C nozzle and 60 °C bed, printed straight after the self-check. A clean first layer proves the Z offset survived or was recalibrated; square corners without ringing on the KE prove the shaper values are back. If the first layer is lace or a smear, fix the offset before anything else. Which machine you would rather maintain in the first place is the subject of Creality Ender 3 V3 SE vs KE.
When it goes wrong
If an SE boots to a blank or frozen screen after an update, stop and recheck the board/package match, card requirements, complete extracted contents and mainboard/screen version pairing against the selected release. Confirm that a supplied screen file remains at TJC_SET/tjc.tft under the card root. Use the release’s recovery instructions or Creality support if it still fails; do not repeatedly rename binaries or mix screen versions from unrelated packages.
A KE or CoreXZ V3 that will not get past the boot logo needs the Creality Wiki unbrick procedure: a MicroUSB data cable (not a charge-only one) to the mainboard, hold Reset for 3 seconds and release Boot to enter the bootloader, install the “Ingenic USB BOOT DEVICE” driver from the cloner-win32-driver folder, load the .ingenic image in the cloner tool and press Start while pressing Boot. One caution from a forum recovery thread: the stock cloner policy can wipe the SN_MAC partition and leave the printer on the mountain boot image; the fix was adding ota.img and sn_mac.img entries at offsets 0x100000 and 0x200000 before flashing. Read that thread before you press Start.
Related across the network
- Common Mechanical Keyboard Problems and How to Fix Them — keyboardranker.com
- Klipper vs Marlin: Which Firmware Should You Run? — klipperlab.com
- OctoPrint vs Klipper: Which Print Host to Run — octoprintlab.com
- How to Level a Bed With BLTouch: Marlin and Klipper Guide — printlabguide.com
- Pressure Advance Calibration for Klipper and Marlin — printlabguide.com
