3D Printing Info

Printer comparison

Anycubic Kobra 3 Max vs ELEGOO Saturn 4 Ultra 16K

Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.

2 selected · all documented properties

Anycubic Kobra 3 Max vs ELEGOO Saturn 4 Ultra 16K — documented properties and sources
PropertyAnycubic Kobra 3 MaxBEDSLINGERELEGOO Saturn 4 Ultra 16KRESIN
Identity
BrandAnycubicELEGOO
ClassBEDSLINGERRESIN
Identity & Market
Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first)Anycubic Kobra 3 Max[1]Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K. Elegoo's product handle is saturn-4-ultra-16k-10inch-monochrome-lcd-resin-3d-printer. 3DJake item number ELG-50.101.038300[2][3]
Release date (announcement and actual shipping)Listed on the Anycubic store from 19 February 2025 (Shopify publish date)[4]Not documented
Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry)$429.00 with a US plug on store.anycubic.com, Aug 2026, against a compare-at price of $699.00 ($493.00 for the EU plug variant)[4]$649.99 in us.elegoo.com's live Shopify product JSON, in stock, with compare_at_price also $649.99 — no discount active at the time of checking (Aug 2026)[3]
Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk)Same 420 x 420 x 500 mm build volume as the older Kobra 2 Max, so build volume will not tell them apart - but the Kobra 3 Max is faster (600 mm/s claimed against 500), runs Kobra OS with multi-colour support and a 4.3-inch touchscreen, and is lighter at 19 kg against 21 kg. Its acceleration ceiling is 10000 mm/s2, half the 20000 mm/s2 of the smaller Kobra 3 - a difference the marketing does not lead with[1][5][6]Distinct from the earlier Saturn 4 Ultra (12K); the 16K carries a 15120 x 6230 masking LCD with 14 x 19 um pixels. Elegoo also sells it bundled with a Mercury Plus V2.0 wash/cure station and as a pre-owned SKU, neither of which is the printer-only price[2][3]
Physical & Frame
Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable420 x 420 x 500 mm, which Anycubic states as 88 L[1]211.68 x 118.37 x 220 mm[2]
Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang)706 x 640 x 753 mm[1]327.4 x 329.2 x 548 mm[2]
Net weight (kg)19 kg[1]Not documented
Frame construction & materialNot documentedMetal housing with a flip-up cover and a drip guard[2]
Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lidOpen frame, no enclosure[1]Flip-up lid (Elegoo's own naming) over an open frame; UV-blocking cover[2]
Kinematics & Motion Hardware
Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other)Anycubic's table gives the construction as "Gantry System" - a bed-slinger, with dual Y-axis motors added to stop layer misalignment on the large moving bed[1]MSLA with tilt-release: the vat tilts to peel each layer rather than pulling straight up. Elegoo claims the mechanism cuts curing time by 25%. Single Z axis, Z precision 0.02 mm[2]
Belts (type, width, e.g. Gates?)Semi-automatic belt tensioning, which Anycubic pairs with motor anti-skip[1]Not documented
Speed & Acceleration
Max print speed (claimed, mm/s)600 mm/s maximum print speed (manufacturer claim), 300 mm/s recommended[1]Not documented
Recommended/typical print speed300 mm/s recommended print speed (manufacturer figure)[1]Not documented
Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²)10000 mm/s2 maximum acceleration - half the ceiling of the smaller Kobra 3, because of the moving mass[1][6]Not documented
Extruder
Type (direct drive / bowden) & design nameDirect drive ("short distance extrusion") with a quick-release hotend[1]Not documented
Hotend & Nozzle
Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?)300 C quick-release hotend with an aerospace-grade ceramic composite throat tube; 0.4 mm standard nozzle, expandable to 0.6 and 0.8 mm[1]Not documented
Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values)300 C maximum nozzle temperature[1]Not documented
Heated Bed & Surface
Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit90 C maximum hotbed temperature on a PEI spring steel plate - 20 C below the smaller Kobra 3[1][6]Not documented
Heat-up time to 60°C (measured preferred)Anycubic claims the ultra-large hotbed heats up in 125 s; no target temperature is stated for that figure and it is a manufacturer claim, not a measurement[1]Not documented
Leveling & Z-Offset
Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe)LeviQ 3.0 auto-levelling with Z-offset and area levelling[1]Automatic levelling, plus intelligent mechanical sensor alarms[2]
Filament Handling & Detection
Filament runout sensor (type, location)Filament detection with auto resume, entanglement detection and power-loss resume[1]Not documented
Multi-material/multi-color capability or official upgrade pathSupports 4- or 8-colour printing with ACE Pro units[1]Not documented
Electronics & Power
Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto)Not documented100-240 V, 50/60 Hz, 24 V 6 A[2]
Firmware & Openness
Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary)Kobra OS; Anycubic Slicer Next is built on the open-source Orca slicer[1]Elegoo EL3D-4.0 system. Slicer is CHITUBOX[2]
Connectivity, UI & Camera
Display: size, type, touch?4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen[1]4-inch capacitive touchscreen (control panel — not the masking LCD, see W1)[2]
On-device UI capabilities (model preview, per-object controls, etc.)Touchscreen plus slicer, Anycubic app and USB (print only); AI spaghetti detection and object skip supported[1]Not documented
WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drivePrinter UI, slicing software, Anycubic app and USB drive (print only)[1]USB and Wi-Fi, with WLAN file transfer[2]
Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps)Not documentedAI camera, 1920 x 1080[2]
Camera features: live monitor, timelapse, AI failure detection (spaghetti detection) — how real is it?Not documentedAI camera with print-failure detection[2]
Materials Support
Officially supported filament listPLA, PETG, TPU (TPU is not compatible with the ACE Pro)[1]405 nm photopolymer resin; the heated tank is aimed at high-viscosity and high-speed resins. No closed compatibility list published[2]
Noise & Power Consumption
Noise: claimed dB and independently measured dB (distance/method)60 dB or less in standard mode - a manufacturer figure with no distance or method stated; markedly higher than the 46-48 dB Anycubic claims for the Kobra S1 and Kobra 4[1][7][8]Not documented
Reliability, Support & Ecosystem
Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes)One year on the complete machine (excluding gifted and second-hand machines), with component warranty periods that vary by part; the period starts on the delivery date and is suspended while a replacement is in transit. Anycubic states it will follow longer local statutory periods where they apply[9]Not documented
Resin & MSLA
Masking LCDNot documented10-inch 16K monochrome masking LCD, 15120 x 6230 px, XY pixel pitch 14 x 19 um (manufacturer specification)[2][3]
Light sourceNot documentedCOB light source with a Fresnel collimating lens[2]
Light uniformity & intensityNot documentedLight energy at the plate quoted as 5 mW/cm2, i.e. 5000 uW/cm2 (manufacturer claim, attributed to the tilt-release and Fresnel optics). No uniformity percentage published and no independent measurement[2]
Vertical print speedmm/hNot documentedUp to 150 mm/h (manufacturer claim). Elegoo does not state the layer height or resin type the figure assumes[2]
Release filmNot documentedPFA release film. No rated life published[2]
LCD life & replaceabilityNot documentedMasking LCD shielded by tempered 9H protective glass. Elegoo publishes no rated screen life in hours and does not state user replaceability[2]
Resin vat & feedingNot documentedReplaceable resin vat with a dual pour spout and a drip guard. Heated tank with automatic temperature measurement: Elegoo states resin reaches 25 C in 26 minutes from a 5 C ambient at 50% humidity (manufacturer figure). Capacity not published; no auto-refill[2]

Manufacturer claims, independent measurements, packages and test conditions retain their source wording. FDM linear speed and resin vertical speed use different units and are not directly comparable. Unknown values are marked “Not documented”. Prices and source dates remain historical snapshots; check the linked guide for product details. Differences highlight text, not a universal winner.

Sources for this comparison

  1. Anycubic Kobra 3 Max product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  2. Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K product page (technical data and description) 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K live Shopify product JSON us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Anycubic Kobra 3 Max Shopify product JSON (variant prices and store publish date) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Anycubic Kobra 2 Max store page and Shopify product JSON (Tech Specs block, price, store publish date) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Anycubic Kobra S1 product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Anycubic Kobra 4 product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Anycubic refund and warranty policy store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor