Printer comparison

Anycubic Kobra S1 Max vs Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro

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

Anycubic Kobra S1 Max guide Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro guide

First printerSecond printer

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparison More Anycubic Kobra S1 Max comparisons More Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro comparisons

Anycubic Kobra S1 Max vs Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro — documented properties and sources
Property	Anycubic Kobra S1 MaxCOREXY	Elegoo Neptune 4 ProBEDSLINGER
Identity
Brand	Anycubic	ELEGOO
Class	COREXY	BEDSLINGER
Identity & Market
Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first)	Anycubic Kobra S1 Max[1]	ELEGOO Neptune 4 Pro. Store title: "ELEGOO Neptune 4 Pro FDM 3D Printer with Up to 500mm/s Printing Speed, Auto Bed Leveling, Dual-Gear Direct Extruder, 300C High-temp Nozzle, Intelligent Segmented Heatbed, 225x225x265mm3". Firmware: # Machine type: NEPTUNE 4 PRO[2]
Release date (announcement and actual shipping)	Listed on the Anycubic store from 16 January 2026 (Shopify publish date)[3]	Pre-orders June 1, 2023, 2pm UTC (verbatim: "available for pre-order on the Elegoo website from June 1st at 2pm (UTC)"); shipping 2023 Q3. Earliest hands-on third-party review: TechRadar, 11 August 2023 (Alastair Jennings) - so retail units were in reviewers' hands by early August 2023. Tom's Hardware followed 19 Nov 2023. Earliest official Pro document on file dated 2023-10-20; earliest archived firmware 1.1.2.28[4][5]
Launch MSRP (USD)	Not documented	$299 announced (3DSourced); $274.00 as the struck-through "was" price on us.elegoo.com; $300.00 list at MatterHackers; at launch review Tom's saw $229 direct and $299.99 at Walmart[4][2][6]
Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry)	$699.00 with a US plug on store.anycubic.com, Aug 2026, against a compare-at price of $899.00 ($804.00 for the EU plug variant)[3]	$229.00 on us.elegoo.com, compare_at_price $274.00 (-16.4%), product-level available: true — but per-variant: Ribbon-Cable available: false (sold out), Type-C available: true, so $229 is the Type-C price. Elegoo's global store (elegoo.com) lists it at $379.00 and available: false in ALL SIX regions (US/CA/AU/JP/UK/EU). A Pre-owned Neptune 4 Pro SKU also exists. MatterHackers: $300 list, "Sorry, this product is currently unavailable" (re-verified 2026-08-19)[7][8][9][6]
Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk)	The large enclosed Anycubic. Against the Kobra S1: 350 mm cube against 250 (Anycubic claims 174% more volume), 350 C hardened-steel nozzle against 320 C, 65 C active chamber heating that the S1 lacks entirely, a titanium-alloy throat tube and hardened-steel extruder gears, an activated carbon filter, 720p camera against 480p, and 25.7 kg against 9.37 kg. Its engineering-filament list is correspondingly longer[1][10]	Three orthogonal hardware axes on the Pro itself: (1) Printhead cable: Ribbon-Cable vs Type-C - different printhead parts AND different firmware; the Type-C version carries its own toolhead MCU (Klipper mcu 'THR'). (2) Stepper motor current (Ribbon-Cable only): BJ42D15-26V77 = 0.8 A, 34 mm body vs BJ42D22-53V04 = 1.2 A, 40 mm body. (3) Mainboard: ZNP-K1 V1.0/V1.1 early, V1.4 and V2.3 on later units. Siblings: Neptune 4 (POM V-wheels, single 250 W bed), 4 Plus, 4 Max (ZNP-K1 V2.0), Neptune 3 Pro (incompatible nozzle standard)[11][12][13][14]
Market position: superseded? successor announced?	Not documented	Still sold new on 2026-08-18 and still in Elegoo's site navigation under "Neptune Series". No Neptune 5 / direct successor. Elegoo's current FDM flagship line is Centauri Carbon / Centauri Carbon 2 (enclosed CoreXY). Vendor source repo last pushed 2026-07-29[2][11]
Physical & Frame
Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable	350 x 350 x 350 mm[1]	Advertised 225 x 225 x 265 mm. Firmware limits: X position_min -8.5 / position_endstop -8 / position_max 235.1; Y position_min -0.5 / position_max 235.1; Z position_min -5 / position_max 270.1. Levelled area is smaller, and firmware disagrees with itself about how much smaller: [bed_mesh] mesh_min 15,21 -> mesh_max 210,211 = 195 x 190 mm, but the G29 macro that actually runs the mesh passes mesh_max=210,220 and elegoo_conf.ini [level_mode] sets mesh_max_y = 220, i.e. 195 x 199 mm in practice. Measured effective bed 224 x 224 mm[2]
Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang)	502.7 x 483 x 584 mm[1]	Machine 475 x 445 x 515 mm. Elegoo also publishes "MAXIMUM SIZE FOR MACHINE ACTIVITY: 475 x 550 x 735 mm (Including Rack & Tray)" - allow 550 mm depth for bed travel, 735 mm height for the spool arm[2]
Net weight (kg)	25.7 kg net, 31 kg packaged[1]	Net 8.9 kg. Gross: 11 kg (us.elegoo.com) vs 13.92 kg (elegoo.com global)[2]
Frame construction & material	Not documented	CNC machined aluminium extrusion; three-module semi-assembled design (base unit + gantry frame + printhead)[2][15]
Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid	Fully enclosed CoreXY with 65 C active chamber heating, dual external-circulation cooling fans and an activated carbon filter, plus a temperature and moisture display[1]	Open frame, none fitted. Optional official enclosure: "3D Printer Enclosure for Neptune 2/2D/2S/3/3 Pro/4/4 Pro", flame-retardant fabric, $39.99[16]
Passive chamber temperature reached (if enclosed; measured values preferred)	65 C active chamber heating (manufacturer figure, actively heated rather than passive)[1]	Not applicable to the stock open frame; no measured chamber temperature found for the optional soft enclosure on this model[17]
Kinematics & Motion Hardware
Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other)	CoreXY (stated outright in Anycubic's specification table)[1]	Cartesian bedslinger (i3) - [printer] kinematics:cartesian; bed moves in Y, gantry in Z, toolhead in X[18]
X-axis guide type (rods / linear rails / V-wheels; size)	Not documented	Steel linear rods with double-row ball U-groove bearings - the headline Pro upgrade over the non-Pro's POM V-wheels. Exact rod diameter[19]
Y-axis guide type	Not documented	Same metal rods + double-row ball U-groove bearings. Elegoo publishes a Pro-specific "Neptune 4 Pro Y-Axis Bearing Tension Adjustment" procedure[20]
Z-axis: leadscrew count & type, sync mechanism, anti-backlash	Not documented	Two lead screws, each with a coupling at the bottom and a timing pulley at the top, synchronised by a toothed belt across the top crossbar. The Z gantry rides on POM eccentric (V) wheels against the vertical extrusions. Motor count (see Notes). No anti-backlash nut documented[21][22][23]
Belts (type, width, e.g. Gates?)	Not documented	Toothed belts on X and Y with manual knob tensioners - X at the right end of the X axis, Y at the front of the base. Plus a Z synchronisation belt on the top crossbar. Width and brand (Gates?)[15]
Stepper motors (frame size, step angle, brand if known)	Not documented	NEMA 17 (42 mm), 1.8 deg full step (full_steps_per_rotation: 200 on X/Y/Z/E). Two factory variants: BJ42D15-26V77 = 0.8 A RMS, 34 mm body (earlier) and BJ42D22-53V04 = 1.2 A, 40 mm body (later). Brand not stated[11]
Stepper drivers (exact model e.g. TMC2209; UART/SPI; sensorless homing?)	Not documented	TMC2209 on UART, all four used axes. UART pins X PB9, Y PD2, Z PC5, E PC4. Run/hold current (1.2 A package): X 1.0/0.8 A, Y 1.2/0.8 A, Z 0.8/0.5 A, E 0.7/0.5 A. stealthchop_threshold: 0 on all four => spreadCycle at all speeds in the stock profile. Sensorless homing not used - physical endstops X PC0, Y PB8; Z homes on probe:z_virtual_endstop; DIAG pads exist but are unconfigured. A fifth driver (E1) is present and unused[24]
Microstepping / interpolation settings (firmware evidence)	Not documented	Microsteps: 16 on X, Y, Z and extruder; interpolate: True on all four TMC2209s. rotation_distance X/Y 40, Z 8, E 29.0[25]
Speed & Acceleration
Max print speed (claimed, mm/s)	600 mm/s maximum print speed (manufacturer claim), 300 mm/s recommended[1]	500 mm/s ("Max Speed of Tool Head: 500 mm/s"; manual "Print Speed: 30~500mm/s")[2]
Recommended/typical print speed	300 mm/s recommended print speed (manufacturer figure)[1]	250 mm/s recommended by Elegoo; manual range 30-500 mm/s[26]
Max travel speed	Not documented	500 mm/s - same max_velocity: 500; no separate travel limit. Stock macros use F6000-F15000 (100-250 mm/s); bed-mesh traverse speed:500; [safe_z_home] speed: 200[27]
Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²)	20000 mm/s2 maximum acceleration, 10000 mm/s2 recommended[1]	20 000 mm/s2 ("Max Acceleration of Tool Head")[2]
Firmware velocity limit (`max_velocity` or Marlin equivalent — exact value)	Not documented	Max_velocity: 500; also max_z_velocity: 10, max_extrude_only_velocity: 60. Per-mode in elegoo_conf.ini: normal 500, silent 270, berserk 500[28]
Firmware acceleration limit (`max_accel` / `DEFAULT_MAX_ACCELERATION` — exact value)	Not documented	Max_accel: 5000, max_accel_to_decel: 20000, max_z_accel: 100. elegoo_conf.ini per-mode: normal 10000 (factory default 5000), silent 8000 (default 4000), berserk 20000 (default 10000); the ini's own [printer] block says max_accel = 21000. Plus a Z-height-adaptive taper ([speed_adaptive]): accel 7000 -> 2500 and velocity 500 -> 300 as Z rises 0.2 -> 210 mm, disabled by default (sp_adap_status = 0)[29]
Jerk / square-corner-velocity setting (exact value)	Not documented	Square_corner_velocity: 9.0 (Klipper default 5.0). Extruder instantaneous_corner_velocity: 2.5[30]
Max volumetric flow claimed (mm³/s)	Not documented	Not claimed. No mm3/s figure published anywhere; closest marketing is "300 C high-temp nozzle features an extended hotend design to fully melt the filament"[2][20]
Max volumetric flow independently measured (mm³/s, method)	Not documented	No flow test exists for this model. For scale only, the firmware's extrude-only cap (max_extrude_only_velocity: 60 mm/s x 2.405 mm2 = ~144 mm3/s) is a Klipper safety ceiling, not a hotend capability[31]
Real-world speed benchmarks (e.g. Benchy time from third-party tests)	Not documented	Benchy 18 min - Elegoo's bundled EN4PRO_3DBenchy-18min.gcode at Sport/500 mm/s, independently printed by three outlets. Benchy 47.60 min at TechGearLab's own standard (non-speed-optimised) settings. Torture test 1 h 25 min @ 0.28 mm. Sandcastle 9 h 14 min (OrcaSlicer 0.2 mm default). Same model 10 h 08 min @ 250 mm/s vs 19 h 22 min @ 50 mm/s — SLICER ESTIMATES, not stopwatch times (3DPrinterBee: "I sliced the same object once at 250 mm/s and once at 50 mm/s")[15]
Vibration Compensation / Input Shaping
Input shaping supported? Implementation (Klipper IS / Marlin ZV / proprietary)	Not documented	Yes - genuine Klipper [input_shaper], active in the stock config[32]
Accelerometer: present? model (ADXL345 / LIS2DW12 / …), location(s), count	Not documented	NO accelerometer is fitted. The mainboard (ZNP-K1 V1.0/V1.1) has an ADXL345 SPI header (GND / 3V3 / CS GPIO1_CS / DO GPIO3_A2 / DI GPIO3_A1 / SCK GPIO3_A0) in the lower-left near the screen connector, and the stock printer.cfg declares [adxl345] cs_pin: rpi:None, spi_bus: spidev0.2 and [resonance_tester] accel_chip: adxl345, probe_points: 100,100,20 - but the sensor itself is user-supplied. Only ADXL345 is supported. Count fitted from factory: 0[33][14]
Calibration mode: automatic per-print / user-run routine / factory-fixed values	Not documented	Factory-fixed values shipped in printer.cfg. Not per-print, not automatic, and not user-runnable out of the box. A user-run TEST_RESONANCES is only possible after buying and hand-wiring an ADXL345 - and Elegoo admits it publishes no tutorial for doing so[33][34]
Shaper type & default frequencies (firmware evidence preferred)	Not documented	Stock 1.1.3.2: shaper_type_x: mzv, shaper_freq_x: 66.66; shaper_type_y: ei, shaper_freq_y: 42.05; damping_ratio_x/y present but commented out. For comparison, OpenNept4une's measured n4pro profile is mzv 111.6 (X) and mzv 32.4 (Y)[35]
Effectiveness evidence (ringing/VFA tests from reviews)	Not documented	Mixed-to-poor. TechRadar scored XY resonance 2.5/5 and Z-axis alignment 2.5/5. TechGearLab: "consistent waves and wobbles", Print Quality 5.2/10. Tom's Hardware: the 18-min Benchy had "only faint banding on the hull". — the community resonance figures previously printed here are withdrawn. The dossier stated: "Community resonance runs on this model report X best at ~37 Hz MZV (max_accel ~15 800) and Y best at 3HUMP_EI ~113 Hz with max_accel only ~2 900 before smoothing dominates." Three independent problems, : (1) The axes are transposed. A bedslinger's light X gantry resonates high and its heavy moving Y bed resonates low — which is what every other number in this dossier shows (Elegoo ships shaper_freq_x 66.66 above shaper_freq_y 42.05; OpenNept4une measured X 111.6 Hz / Y 32.4 Hz, E4). Assigning ~37 Hz to X and ~113 Hz to Y inverts that and contradicts E4 in the same section. (2) The frequency/accel pairings are physically impossible. Klipper's calibrate_shaper suggests a max_accel that rises steeply with fitted frequency; the community Neptune 4 Pro input-shaping guide's own worked example gives mzv @ 34.6 Hz -> max_accel <= 3 500, so "~37 Hz MZV -> 15 800" is off by ~4x, and a 3hump_ei fit at 113 Hz would suggest far more than 2 900, not an order of magnitude less. Unswapped, the pair is self-consistent (high-freq X -> ~15 800; low-freq Y -> ~2 900), which is the likeliest reading of whatever was originally reported. (3) No source page exists. The citation was literally "community values surfaced via search"; the figures are reproducible only as a search-engine prose summary, and no forum post, issue, wiki page or repo containing them could be reached. That is not evidence — nobody's method, instrument or machine is identified. What survives, and is enough to make the point: OpenNept4une's measured profile for this model (X 111.6 / Y 32.4, E4) already diverges from Elegoo's shipped constants by ~45 Hz on X, and ei on Y is the heavy-smoothing shaper — so the qualitative conclusion (factory values are a model-wide guess; the Y axis is the limiting one) stands on E4 alone and does not need these numbers[36]
Extrusion Pressure Control
Pressure advance (Klipper) / linear advance (Marlin) supported?	Not documented	Yes - Klipper pressure_advance[37]
Enabled by default? Factory value? (firmware evidence)	Not documented	Enabled by default: pressure_advance: 0.020[37]
Auto-calibration for PA/LA? How does it work?	Not documented	None. No PA calibration routine in firmware and no entry in the touchscreen UI. Only manual tuning by editing printer.cfg via Fluidd, or by printing community PA test gcode[34]
Any physical nozzle pressure / load-cell extrusion sensing?	Not documented	None. No load cell, no strain gauge, no filament-force sensor. The only "force" adjustment is a manual spring-tension screw on the extruder idler (2.0 mm Allen; counter-clockwise increases grip)[38]
Related settings (PA smooth time etc., firmware values)	Not documented	Pressure_advance_smooth_time: 0.04 (Klipper default 0.040). Related extruder limits: max_extrude_only_distance: 300, max_extrude_only_velocity: 60, max_extrude_only_accel: 5000, max_extrude_cross_section: 9999999, min_extrude_temp: 100[39]
Extruder
Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name	Direct drive ("short distance extrusion") with hardened-steel extruder gears, which Anycubic rates at six times the life of brass on carbon-fibre filament[1]	Direct drive, dual-gear - marketed "Dual-gear Direct Extruder" / "dual-gear direct drive extruder". Toolhead-mounted extruder motor[2]
Gear ratio & drive gear material	Not documented	Gear_ratio: 52:10 = 5.2:1 with rotation_distance: 29.0, microsteps: 16, full_steps_per_rotation: 200 => ~573.8 steps/mm. Config comment references "Bondtech 5mm Drive Gears". Gear material - marketing only says the dual gears "prevent the flexible filament from slipping and grinding"[2]
Filament diameter	Not documented	1.75 mm (filament_diameter: 1.750)[40]
Filament path (PTFE-lined? all-metal? reverse bowden?)	Not documented	Direct drive, short path. PTFE (Teflon) tube inserted down the copper-titanium bi-metal throat pipe, reaching the bottom of the throat - so the path is PTFE-lined into the hot zone, not all-metal. No reverse bowden[41][2]
Claimed extrusion force / grip (if published)	Not documented	No force or torque figure published[2]
Auto load/unload routine	Not documented	Yes, UI-driven: [Prepare] > [Extruder] > [Load] auto-heats the nozzle to 200 C, then the user triggers feed. Retract/feed is also available during a pause (fixed in firmware 1.1.3.2). No fully automatic insert-and-go[42]
Hotend & Nozzle
Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?)	Quick-release hotend with a titanium-alloy throat tube; 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm nozzles supplied, 0.25 and 0.8 mm optional; hardened steel[1]	Proprietary modular "nozzle assembly" (Elegoo part codes B0N101 / B0N371), with the nozzle itself separately replaceable (B0N0W1 / B0N0V1). Not quick-swap: the documented procedure requires removing the rear 4-fan assembly (3 screws), the print-head cable, the print-head front cover, and the fan bracket (4 screws) before the nozzle assembly's 2 screws can be reached[41]
Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values)	350 C maximum nozzle temperature[1]	Claimed 300 C. Firmware: [extruder] max_temp: 310, but the redefined M104/M109 macros hard-clamp any request to 300 and emit a warning; elegoo_conf.ini sets max_extruder_tmprature = 300. So the effective ceiling is 300 C, with 310 C as the Klipper shutdown threshold[43]
Heater cartridge power (W)	Not documented	Not published by Elegoo. at official level. Aftermarket replacement parts sold as compatible with the Neptune 4 / 4 Pro are 24 V 50 W; the Plus/Max use 60-80 W (do not cross-apply)[2][44][45]
Temperature sensor type (thermistor model / thermocouple) & rating	Not documented	Firmware: sensor_type: NTC 100K MGB18-104F39050L32 on sensor_pin: PA1 (board header "THO TEMP PA1"). Elegoo's official part spec: "NTC100K high temperature resistant thermistor (300 C), phi3*10-L85mm, with 2-pin PH 2.0 terminal"[46]
Stock nozzle size & sizes included in box	Not documented	0.4 mm stock. Box includes 2 spare nozzles (sizes not stated by Elegoo; the bundled multi-size kits sold separately are 0.4/0.6/0.8)[2][15]
Stock nozzle material (brass / hardened steel / plated copper / composite tip)	Not documented	Brass. Hardened steel is a paid option[16]
Nozzle mount standard (V6 / MK8 / Unicorn / proprietary) & swap procedure	Not documented	Elegoo publishes no thread or mount standard for this machine, and third parties disagree. What is solid: the nozzle assembly (nozzle + integrated bi-metal throat, part codes B0N101/B0N371) is an Elegoo-specific module, is sold in separate Ribbon-Cable and Type-C SKUs (verified: even the $9.99 brass nozzle kit has both variants), is not interchangeable with earlier Neptune models, and Micro Swiss ships a dedicated replacement hotend for it. What is NOT established: that the nozzle tip thread itself is proprietary. Marketplace sellers list "M6 Thread Volcano High Flow Nozzles... for Elegoo Neptune 4/Pro/4 Max", and third-party nozzle guides class the Neptune line as MK8/M6. Swap = the multi-step disassembly in H1, then re-insert the PTFE tube, then re-level and reset Z-offset[41][16]
Available nozzle sizes/materials (official + third-party compatibility)	Not documented	Official: brass multi-size kit $9.99 (verified in stock 2026-08-19, in both Ribbon-Cable and Type-C variants), hardened steel 0.4/0.6/0.8 $11.99. Third-party: Micro Swiss FlowTech Hotend for ELEGOO Neptune 4 / 4 Pro, SKU M3107, $64.99, in stock — all-metal, permanently-sealed leak-proof nozzle+heatbreak assembly, cold nozzle change, ceramic cylindrical heater with a 28.6 mm melt zone, and a nozzle range incl. CM2 hardened, Hyper-CHT and DiamondBack tips. Whether generic M6/MK8 nozzles fit is unresolved — see H7[47][16][48]
All-metal hotend? PTFE near melt zone?	Not documented	NOT all-metal. Copper-titanium bi-metal heatbreak, but a PTFE tube runs down to the bottom of the throat pipe, i.e. into the hot zone. PTFE-tube replacement is an official routine maintenance item[41][2]
Melt-zone / high-flow design details (CHT-style, length)	Not documented	Marketing: "extended hotend design to fully melt the filament". Actual melt-zone length, heater-block dimensions and any CHT-style splitter geometry: - no drawing or dimension published, and no teardown measured it[2][41]
Heated Bed & Surface
Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit	120 C maximum hotbed temperature on a PEI spring steel build plate[1]	On the claim: us.elegoo.com and the user manual say 110 C; elegoo.com (global) says 100 C. Firmware: both bed zones are max_temp: 120 ([heater_bed] and [heater_generic heater_bed1]), while the redefined M140/M190/M191/M141 macros hard-clamp to 110, and elegoo_conf.ini sets max_tmp = 110. Effective ceiling 110 C; 120 C is the Klipper shutdown threshold[2]
Bed heater type (DC/AC mains) & wattage	Not documented	DC 24 V, dual-zone ("Intelligent Segmented Heatbed"): inner ~100 W + outer ~150 W = 250 W total. Firmware exposes them as two independent PID heaters: [heater_bed] heater PB10 / sensor PA0 (board HB0/TB0) and [heater_generic heater_bed1] heater PC8 / sensor PC2 (board HB1/TB1), both max_power: 1.0, pwm_cycle_time: 0.016. Inner zone is the centre 120 x 120 mm[49][15]
Heat-up time to 60°C (measured preferred)	Not documented	No timed measurement found for this model. Only qualitative: ThePhonograph, comparing to the Plus/Max, notes "the small bed takes way less time to heat up" and counts this as a real total-print-time advantage. Firmware allows a generous window: [verify_heater heater_bed] check_gain_time: 120 s[15]
Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided	Not documented	Textured PEI on flexible spring steel, magnetic, removable. PEI area 235 x 235 mm. Stock plate is single-sided; the official upgrade plate is dual-sided (textured PEI on one face, a PLA-specific smooth face on the other)[2][16]
Magnetic removable plate? Spare plate availability & cost	Not documented	Yes, magnetic and removable. Official spare: $19.99 for the Neptune 4/4 Pro dual-sided plate (Plus $27.99, Max $39.99)[16]
Bed thermal uniformity (third-party thermal imaging if available)	Not documented	Measured 12.8 C gradient across the bed (TechGearLab's instrumented test)[50]
Leveling & Z-Offset
Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe)	LeviQ 3.0 auto-levelling[1]	Inductive proximity sensor ("Proximity Switch" in Elegoo's parts list, $12.99). Firmware [probe] pin:^PA11 (board header "LEVEL PA11"), x_offset: -24.25, y_offset: 20.45, z_offset: 0.0, speed: 10.0, samples: 2, samples_result: median, sample_retract_dist: 3.0, samples_tolerance: 0.05, samples_tolerance_retries: 5. Not a strain gauge, load cell or touch probe[16][41]
Mesh grid size (probe point count — firmware evidence)	Not documented	. Marketing: "121 (11 x 11) Points Auto Bed Leveling". Firmware stock: [bed_mesh] probe_count:6,6 = 36 points, mesh_min:15,21, mesh_max:210,211, algorithm:bicubic, bicubic_tension:0.2, mesh_pps: 2,2, fade_start:5.0, fade_end:30.0; the G29 macro likewise uses probe_count=6; elegoo_conf.ini sets level_points = 6. The manual shows the screen has a "Leveling Toggle (36/121 points)" with a "36-point Level Display", and the auto-level walkthrough says "begin the 36-point automatic bed calibration"[2]
Auto Z-offset (nozzle-touch etc.) or manual (paper method)?	Not documented	Manual paper method. Stock probe z_offset: 0.0. Documented flow: home, slide an A4 sheet under the nozzle, adjust the compensation value on screen until slight friction, then after the auto mesh do the paper test again and save. There is no nozzle-touch / auto-Z-offset routine[51]
Manual leveling screws/knobs present?	Not documented	Yes - four hand-twist nuts under the heated bed, plus a separate "Base Wobbling Adjustment" procedure. Manual 4-corner paper leveling is a required step before auto-leveling works properly[20]
Gantry-leveling / Z-tilt routine?	Not documented	None in stock firmware. No [z_tilt], no [screws_tilt_adjust], no [bed_screws], no [axis_twist_compensation] in the shipped printer.cfg - even though all four modules exist in Elegoo's own Klipper fork. Z squaring is a purely mechanical procedure using two printed 100 mm columns[22][21]
Leveling workflow (forced per print? saved mesh? adaptive mesh?)	Not documented	Not forced per print. The mesh is stored as profile=6 by the G29 macro and applied with fade_start:5.0 / fade_end:30.0. PRINT_START does not probe - it only sets was_interrupted, G92 E0, G90, CLEAR_PAUSE. No adaptive//per-object meshing stock. Real-world: 3DWithUs needed no re-level "after 20 and counting prints"; TechGearLab could not get auto-leveling to work at all; TechRadar called it "faultless"[52]
Filament Handling & Detection
Filament runout sensor (type, location)	Filament detection with auto resume, entanglement detection and power-loss resume[1]	Mechanical/optical switch, [filament_switch_sensor fila] switch_pin: PA12 (board header "MT-DET1 PA12"), pause_on_runout: True, event_delay: 3.0, pause_delay: 1.0, runout_gcode re-arms the sensor and prints an M118 alert. Physically a separate "Filament Detector" module mounted on the top-left of the gantry, in-line before the reverse path to the toolhead; user-installed at assembly and toggleable from the Setup screen[53]
Tangle/snag detection (exact mechanism, if any — do not accept marketing wording at face value)	Not documented	Does not exist, and Elegoo does not claim it. There is exactly one filament input pin in firmware (PA12, a filament_switch_sensor) - a switch cannot distinguish a tangle from a runout. No encoder, no motion sensor, no second detector. A keyword scan of the full product page found no tangle-detection claim[2]
Clog detection (mechanism, if any)	Not documented	None. No clog-detection mechanism of any kind. Marketing's "less nozzle clogging" refers to the throat pipe's air-duct cooling design (clog prevention), not detection[2]
Filament change support (M600 / UI-driven)	Not documented	M600 exists but is minimal: [gcode_macro m600] = M400 / PAUSE / M400 - it pauses and parks, but performs no unload/purge/reload sequence itself. The real change flow is the touchscreen's Load/Retract, and (from firmware 1.1.3.2) feed/retract works during a pause[54]
Spool holder location & max spool size; drybox compatibility	Not documented	Top-mounted spool holder (holder + spool holder arm) on the Z top crossbar, feeding down through the filament detector. Max spool diameter/width: - not published. Drybox compatibility; the top-feed geometry does not obstruct a side-fed external dryer, and Elegoo sells a Filament Dryer and vacuum-storage kits in the same accessories collection[16]
Multi-material/multi-color capability or official upgrade path	Up to 16-colour printing with ACE 2 Pro units, sold separately[1]	None. No multi-material or multi-colour hardware, and no official upgrade path (no AMS/MMU-class product for the Neptune 4 family). The only latent hardware headroom is the unused E1 stepper driver (PB0/PB1/PB2, UART PB6) which the community uses for independent dual Z, not for filament switching[55][16]
Cooling & Air Handling
Part-cooling fan(s): count, size, ducting design	Not documented	Toolhead: two 4015 ball-bearing blower fans, one each side of the extruder. Firmware [fan] pin: PC9 (board FAN2/PC9). Duty is capped by fan mode in the redefined M106: mode 0 (Normal) clamps to 204/255 = 80%, mode 1 (Silent) to 153/255 = 60%, mode 2 (Sport) full 255[15]
Auxiliary part-cooling fan?	Not documented	Yes, and it is substantial: a removable rear bar containing four 4020 ball-bearing blower fans, bolted to the X axis, blowing parallel to the plate across the whole print area. Three user-selectable modes: Silent 60% / Normal 80% / Sport 100% (Sport was previously called "Violent Mode"). Measured tip speed claim: ~10 000 rpm[44]
Heatbreak/hotend fan	Not documented	[heater_fan fan1] pin: PA8, shutdown_speed: 1 (forced full-on at Klipper shutdown - a safety-positive default). The board labels PA8 "FAN3/FAN1" and the manual's wiring diagram calls item 7 "Mainboard Fan/Heat Break Cooling Fan" - i.e. the heatbreak fan and the mainboard fan share this one output[56]
Chamber/exhaust fan & filtration (activated carbon / HEPA)	Activated carbon filter for odour removal; dual external-circulation cooling fans[1]	None. No chamber fan, no exhaust, no activated-carbon or HEPA filtration of any kind[2]
Electronics bay cooling	Not documented	Yes - a mainboard cooling fan under the base, reached by removing 5 screws from the mainboard bottom cover; it shares the PA8 output with the heatbreak fan[49]
Fan control (PWM? RPM feedback? firmware evidence)	Not documented	Soft-PWM, no tachometer. [fan] and [heater_fan] use Klipper's default PWM cycle time; no tachometer_pin is configured anywhere and no fan-tach header appears on the board pinout, so there is no RPM feedback and no stall detection. Duty limiting is implemented in G-code (the M106 clamp) plus a custom FAN_MODE command Elegoo added to toolhead.py, and Elegoo also patched klippy/extras/fan.py to register an MKS_M106 command[57]
Electronics & Power
Mainboard model & MCU (exact chip markings if teardowns exist)	Not documented	Board: "ZNP K1" (a Makerbase/MKS design), silkscreened ZNP K1 v1.0 / v1.1 on Neptune 4 and 4 Pro; v2.0 on Plus/Max; V1.4 and V2.3 observed on later Pro units. MCU: STM32F402RCT6 - printed on the official ZNP K1 V1.1 pinout drawing next to the MCU UART pins (TX1-PA9 MCU / RX1-PA10 STM32F402RCT6), and matching the stock printer.cfg header "the firmware should be compiled for the STM32F402... 32KiB bootloader, serial on USART1 PA10/PA9". Five stepper driver positions X/Y/Z/E0/E1 (E1 unused on the Pro)[14][12][13]
Host computer (SoC, RAM, storage) if firmware runs on embedded Linux	Not documented	Rockchip RK3328, quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 64-bit (marketed 1.5 GHz), 1 GB RAM, socketed eMMC module, Gigabit Ethernet, USB3 - running a Debian/Armbian-class Linux with Klipper + Moonraker + Fluidd as user mks. Device tree identifies the platform as model = "Makerbase mks-pi" on rk3328-roc-cc[58][2]
PSU (brand, wattage, rail voltage)	Not documented	310 W (single-source), 24 V DC output, integrated in the machine base. Brand[59]
Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto)	Not documented	115 V / 230 V selectable by a MANUAL slide switch on the rear. Factory default is 230 V. Not auto-ranging. Guidance: 115 V for 100-120 V mains (CA/US/JP), 230 V for 220-240 V mains (DE/FR/UK/AU/RU/IT/ES). Store spec: "115/230V 50/60Hz"[2][49]
Total rated power draw	Not documented	Rated: 310 W PSU (single third-party source — see M3). Third-party observation (Pro): 124-192 W while printing at 500 mm/s in Sport mode with only the 120x120 mm centre bed zone active — not an instrumented measurement; no meter or method is named (see T3). the rated figure is a spec-table value, and the only draw figure attached to it fails the method test[15]
Expansion headers / spare ports (fans, steppers, GPIO, USB host)	Not documented	Verified from the board drawing: spare E1 stepper driver (EN PB0, STEP PB1, DIR PB2, DIAG PC1, UART PB6); ADXL345 SPI header (GND/3V3/CS GPIO1_CS/DO GPIO3_A2/DI GPIO3_A1/SCK GPIO3_A0); H-UART1 header (RX1/TX1, GPIO3_A4/A6); unused Z+ endstop header PC12; PWOFF PA3 and PWR DET GPIO1_B2 power-fail inputs; FALA CONTROL GPIO1_C5; LED1 PC7 / LED2 PB7 outputs plus SoC-driven SLED1 GPIO2_B7 / SLED2 GPIO2_A2; USB3.0 host; front USB-C (debug/serial); M-TF card slot on MCU SPI2 (CS PB12, MOSI PB15, SCK PB13, MISO PB14, DET PC6) used for MCU firmware flashing; Ethernet; BOOT0 + RESET buttons; unpopulated second USB footprint next to Ethernet on V1.0[55][14][60]
Firmware & Openness
Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary)	Kobra OS with pressure advance and flow calibration supported[1]	Vendor fork of Klipper (+ Moonraker + Fluidd) on embedded Linux, with a separate Elegoo touchscreen firmware and a separate STM32 MCU firmware. Config examined: Current configuration version: V1.6, Date: 2024-6-24 inside the firmware 1.1.3.2 package. Release history for ribbon-cable Pro units: 1.1.2.28 -> 1.1.2.41 -> 1.1.2.53 (2023-12-15) -> 1.1.3.1 (2024-07-05) -> 1.1.3.2 (2024-10-30). Screen firmware versioned separately (1.2.14, 1.2.21). Type-C units run a different line - 1.3.1.2 observed[12]
Source code availability (repos, GPL compliance status, last update date)	Not documented	Source now published but incomplete, and it arrived very late. github.com/elegooofficial/Neptune4 was created 2025-12-17 (~2 years 4 months after launch), last pushed 2026-07-29, 4.5 MB, containing klipper/ and moonraker/. The repository has no LICENSE file (license: null via the GitHub API), although the vendored klipper/COPYING is present. Verified gaps between the published source and the shipped product: the stock printer.cfg requires [gcode_shell_command] and calls clear_last_file, but neither exists anywhere in the published klippy/; the [include plr.cfg] file is not in the repo; the config/ directory contains example configs only for the Neptune 2 and Neptune 3 Pro, not the Neptune 4 family; and the update package ships a closed binary c_helper.so (302 KB) with no corresponding source. Prior status: Klipper maintainer Sineos, September 2023: "I did not find any released sources for these modifications -> Elegoo is in violation of the GPL"[61]
Root/SSH access: possible? official or community method	Not documented	Yes. SSH over Ethernet with default credentials user mks / password makerbase; also a serial console on the front USB-C at 1,500,000 baud. Community-documented, not officially supported[62]
Moonraker / Mainsail / Fluidd or other open API available (stock vs after mods)?	Not documented	Fluidd + Moonraker are present and reachable on the stock machine over LAN at http://<printer-ip> - no mods needed. The manual documents browsing to the IP in Chrome for movement control, temperature, console, fans/output, printer limits and a task list. Elegoo's own wiki instructs users to edit printer.cfg from Fluidd's Configuration menu. Mainsail is not stock (added by OpenNept4une). Caveat: Elegoo forbids user-initiated Klipper/Moonraker/Fluidd updates[34]
Notable community firmware/mods (names, repos, what they add)	Not documented	OpenNept4une (OpenNeptune3D) - full "de-Elegoo": custom Armbian 25.11 trixie / Linux 6.16.12, Klipper v0.13, all Elegoo services removed, simplified printer.cfg, KAMP adaptive meshing, screws_tilt_adjust, axis_twist_compensation, firmware_retraction, host/MCU temperature reporting, improved mainboard fan control, display_connector for the stock touchscreen, mjpg-streamer webcam script, Orca profiles, easy MCU flashing, USB-Wi-Fi support. mairyj/Neptune-4-Series - archived official firmware + per-motor printer.cfg variants + French video tutorials + Pico/FYSETC input-shaper kit (PIS.cfg + klipper.uf2) + Obico and webcam guides. Hardware mods: Micro Swiss FlowTech all-metal hotend, MGN9H X-axis and dual-Y linear-rail kits, eMMC upgrade, E1-driver independent dual Z[63][48]
Firmware update mechanism (OTA/USB) & update cadence history	Not documented	Depends on which variant you own, and the dossier's original flat "no OTA" was wrong for the machine now sold. Ribbon-cable units: USB flash drive only, no OTA (firmware-verified below). Type-C units: Elegoo advertises OTA. The live us.elegoo.com listing — the only place this printer is still sold new, and it sells only the Type-C variant (A4) — carries a variant note verbatim "Note : This is the Type-C version with OTA updates. Please make sure any parts you buy are compatible with this model." plus a dedicated feature panel headed "OTA Firmware Upgrade": "Keep your machine at its peak with seamless OTA updates that deliver new features and performance enhancements the moment they're ready." (re-fetched 2026-08-19; the older, out-of-stock elegoo.com global listing contains no OTA mention anywhere, consistent with OTA being a Type-C-era addition). No OTA payload, changelog or client for the Type-C line was obtained, so the mechanism, transport and rollback behaviour are. For the ribbon-cable machine the USB flow is as follows: copy an ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR folder to a cleared USB stick and boot; screen and MCU firmware update separately; a distinct "fix pack" must be applied first if coming from below 1.1.2.53, and applying it wipes the local task list. Firmware must match both the printhead cable type and (ribbon-cable units) the stepper-motor current variant. Cadence: 5 releases across 2023-09 -> 2024-10, then nothing for ribbon-cable units. A downgrade-protection compatibility check was added in 1.1.3.1[64][11]
G-code flavor & notable custom G-codes/macros	Not documented	Klipper G-code with Marlin-compatibility overrides. Elegoo-specific commands compiled into toolhead.py/fan.py: PRINT_MODE SET=0/1/2 (Normal/Silent/Berserk - rewrites elegoo_conf.ini, changes max_velocity/max_accel/max_accel_to_decel and toggles spreadCycle), FAN_MODE SET=0/1/2, MKS_M106. Macro overrides in printer.cfg: M104/M109 (clamped 300 C), M140/M190/M191 (clamped 110 C, all three drive both bed zones), M141 (outer zone heater_bed1 ONLY), M17/M84 (per-axis enable/disable), M106 (fan-mode duty clamp), M300 (beeper on PA2), m600 (-> PAUSE), G29 (36-point mesh + re-home + park centre), G31 (clear PLR), FLASHLIGHT_ON/OFF/SWITCH, MODLELIGHT_ON/OFF/SWITCH, PRINT_START/PRINT_END/CANCEL_PRINT/PAUSE/RESUME, RESUME_INTERRUPTED, save_last_file/clear_last_file, LOG_Z. [gcode_arcs] resolution: 0.1 and [exclude_object] are enabled stock[65]
Root shell: exact method (official setting toggle / vendor-documented / community exploit / none). Is root persistent across OTA firmware updates, or wiped each update?	Not documented	Not an official feature; no vendor toggle. Two community routes: (1) SSH as user mks over Ethernet on the stock image, then sudo (see N11); (2) serial console on the front USB-C at 1,500,000 baud (fallback 115200). True root login is not documented; privilege escalation is via sudo. On OTA persistence: THE QUESTION IS LIVE AND UNANSWERED This row previously read "not applicable in the usual sense - there is no OTA". That is wrong for the only variant still sold: Elegoo advertises "seamless OTA updates" for the Type-C version on the live product page (see N6, re-fetched 2026-08-19). Since the checklist gates on "Is root persistent across OTA firmware updates, or wiped each update?", the honest answer for a 2026 buyer is, and it is the single biggest unresolved risk to this buyer's requirement — an OTA channel is precisely what silently reverts an on-device tailscaled install, and no OTA payload, changelog or client for the Type-C line was obtained. For ribbon-cable units the picture is the documented one: updates are USB-flash ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR payloads that overwrite specific files, and extra_update.tar demonstrably ships /etc/fstab and /etc/init.d/taskset-client.sh as root-owned members, so an update can overwrite system files outside /home/mks. Elegoo additionally publishes "Image Installation Methods", i.e. a full-image reflash that wipes everything. Whether an update disables SSH or resets the password: - no changelog entry and no community report addresses it[62][20][66]
Userland: OS base (Debian/Ubuntu/Buildroot/OpenWrt/busybox-only), package manager present (`apt`/`opkg`/`ipkg`/none), CPU architecture (armv7 / aarch64 / mips / x86), and free space on the writable partition. A busybox/no-apt rootfs with a few MB free is a red flag — say so.	Not documented	Arch: arm64 / aarch64 - hard-verified: the Armbian board family for this board is BOARDFAMILY="rockchip64" and rockchip64_common.inc line 10 sets ARCH=arm64; SoC is RK3328 (quad Cortex-A53). OS base: Debian-family. Stock: the update package ships a.deb (ELEGOO_APP_factory.deb) and SysV-style /etc/init.d/ scripts, and the vendor's own paths (/home/mks/, /home/mks/Desktop/) indicate a desktop-flavoured Armbian/Debian build - but the exact stock release and whether apt is usable is, never published and not verified here. Community image: Armbian 25.11 "trixie", Linux 6.16.12, with apt and sudo and armbian-config all confirmed working. Storage: 8 GB eMMC (community-reported); free space on the writable partition is the red flag - the sibling Neptune 4 Max is reported at ~1.8 GB free with a low-disk warning at 1 GB, which is why the standard community mod is a 32 GB eMMC swap[58][62][67]
Native Tailscale feasibility: can `tailscaled` run persistently on-device? Cite concrete evidence — community guides, wiki entries, forum posts, or repos of people actually doing it on THIS model. Note whether it needs `/dev/net/tun` (kernel TUN support) and whether the kernel provides it, plus whether userspace-networking mode is the only option. Distinguish "someone did it" from "should theoretically work."	Not documented	Kernel prerequisites VERIFIED PRESENT; nobody has been found who has actually done it on this model. Evidence, from the kernel configs that build the community image for this exact board: CONFIG_TUN=y in OpenNept4une's own userpatches/linux-rockchip64-current.config (built into the kernel, so /dev/net/tun exists without loading a module) and CONFIG_TUN=m in the upstream config/kernel/linux-rockchip64-current.config; plus CONFIG_WIREGUARD=m, CONFIG_NF_TABLES=m, CONFIG_IP_NF_IPTABLES=m, CONFIG_VETH=m, CONFIG_OVERLAY_FS=y. With aarch64 + Debian + apt + systemd + TUN + nftables, tailscaled in normal (kernel-networking) mode should run natively; userspace-networking mode is not forced. What is NOT established: (a) no guide, wiki page, forum post, issue or repo was found of anyone running Tailscale on a Neptune 4/4 Pro - searched repeatedly; (b) the stock Elegoo kernel's TUN support is (its kernel config is not published and lives only inside a binary image, which was not extracted per resource policy). So: "should work, prerequisites proven, on the community image" - explicitly NOT "someone did it"[68][62]
SSH daemon: present by default or must be installed/enabled? Default credentials if documented. Does an OTA update disable it or reset the password?	Not documented	Community consensus: sshd is reachable on the stock image over Ethernet with mks / makerbase, and no vendor documentation of any kind confirms or denies it. The username mks is firmware-proven (every path in the shipped update package is under /home/mks/, and extra_update.tar members are owned mks/mks); the password makerbase is not - it appears in community write-ups, and the OpenNept4une wiki presents mks/makerbase in the context of its own image, so applying it to stock is an inference that multiple third parties assert but no primary source establishes. Elegoo publishes no SSH instructions, no credential list, and no way to change or disable it from the UI. Whether an update disables SSH or resets the password:[62][67][69]
Filesystem persistence: is the rootfs read-only or overlay-mounted? Do user-installed binaries and init/systemd services survive reboot and survive firmware updates? Is there a supported place to persist customizations?	Not documented	Writable ext4 rootfs on eMMC - not read-only, not overlay-protected. Direct evidence: the stock design writes state to plain files at runtime ([save_variables] filename = /home/mks/klipper_config/saved_variables.cfg, and PRINT_MODE rewrites elegoo_conf.ini in place), which is only possible on a writable rootfs; the community image runs apt install and persistent systemd units. So user-installed binaries and services survive reboot. They do not reliably survive vendor maintenance: a USB update overwrites named files anywhere on disk (extra_update.tar carries root-owned /etc/fstab and /etc/init.d/taskset-client.sh), the pre-1.1.2.53 "fix pack" deletes the local task list by design, and Elegoo's documented recovery path is a full image reflash. There is no vendor-supported place to persist customisations - no /opt convention, no user-data partition, no documented exclusion list. CONFIG_OVERLAY_FS=y exists in the kernel but nothing in stock or community configuration mounts the rootfs as an overlay[20]
Connectivity, UI & Camera
Display: size, type, touch?	4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen[1]	4.3-inch colour touchscreen, detachable/removable (marketed "Removable Touch Screen"), mounted on a screen support block via a spiral cable. Connected by a phone-line/RJ-style connector[2][15]
On-device UI capabilities (model preview, per-object controls, etc.)	Touchscreen plus slicing software, Anycubic app and U-disk; AI spaghetti detection using an in-house algorithm and the 720p camera[1]	Home / Print files / Prepare / Setup screens. Confirmed functions: file browse with gcode thumbnail preview (Cura TFT format natively; Prusa and Orca previews added in 1.1.3.2), per-axis jog with selectable step, set X/Y/Z zero, home all, motor unlock, temperature presets per material, leveling toggle 36/121 points, compensation (Z-offset) settings, lighting control, fan-mode control, filament-detector enable/disable, restore defaults, language selection (8 languages), machine information (incl. IP address), advanced settings, and live override of speed/fan/extrusion during a print. Per-zone bed temperature targets can be set independently. No per-object controls on the screen (that lives in Fluidd via [exclude_object])[15]
WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive	Printer UI, slicing software, Anycubic app and U-disk[1]	NO built-in Wi-Fi. Wired Ethernet RJ45 (board config states GbE); USB-A host (USB3.0 on the board) for the flash drive; front USB-C (debug/serial console); a front-panel microSD slot; plus an MCU-side microSD used for firmware flashing (on later units this one is internal/"hidden"). Wi-Fi is a user-added USB 2.0 2.4 GHz dongle and only two are validated - Mercury MW150US and TP-Link TL-WN725N, both "driver-free version"; dual-band adapters are explicitly not supported; setup requires editing wpa_supplicant-wlan0.conf inside a firmware update package and re-flashing[64][2][58]
Cloud service & phone app; LAN-only mode possible?	Not documented	No Elegoo cloud service and no Elegoo phone app for this printer. It is LAN-only by design, via Moonraker/Fluidd on the local network. Remote access and mobile control are third-party/community only: Obico (official-format Elegoo/mairyj guide) and Mobileraker (bundled by OpenNept4une). Elegoo's own wiki does publish a "Remote Printing Operation Guide" for the Neptune 4 series, i.e. Elegoo documents remote use but routes it through third-party/LAN mechanisms rather than a first-party cloud[2]
Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps)	Standard HD camera, 720p, used for real-time AI anomaly detection[1]	No camera - none built in, and Elegoo sells no camera accessory for this printer. Any camera is a user-supplied USB webcam, so resolution and framerate are entirely the user's webcam's specification. Community defaults : mjpg-streamer's stock 640x480 @ 10 fps; the community webcam guide suggests 1920x1080 @ 15 fps (with 2048x1080 and 4096x2160 variants listed, and a note that you can raise 15 to 30 fps)[16][2]
Camera features: live monitor, timelapse, AI failure detection (spaghetti detection) — how real is it?	Not documented	None stock. No live monitoring, no timelapse and no AI/spaghetti failure detection in Elegoo's firmware. All of it is community-added: mjpg-streamer for live view (OpenNept4une script or the community guide), timelapse via the Klipper moonraker-timelapse plugin (community PDF guides for the Neptune 4 series, v1.1/v1.5.2), and AI failure detection only via Obico, a third-party cloud service. The stock PAUSE/RESUME macros do contain SAVE_GCODE_STATE NAME=timelapse_state_a/b hooks, showing timelapse integration was anticipated[61]
LED chamber/toolhead lighting	Not documented	Two independent LED systems: a multi-LED strip along the top gantry crossbar and a print-head LED. Firmware exposes them as [output_pin caselight] pin: PB7 and [output_pin caselight1] pin: PC7, both pwm: false (on/off only, no dimming), shutdown_value: 0. On K1 V1.1 boards they are instead driven from SoC GPIOs via sled1.sh / sled2.sh shell calls (FLASHLIGHT_SWITCH = top LED, MODLELIGHT_SWITCH = printhead LED)[15]
Calibration Routines & QoL
One-touch auto-calibration suite: what exactly does it calibrate?	Not documented	There is no one-touch suite. The only on-screen routine is Level, and it is a five-step hybrid: (1) auto-home; (2) manual paper Z at the centre point; (3) manual 4-corner paper leveling using the bed nuts; (4) automatic 36-point probe with the nozzle preheated to 140 C and bed to 60 C; (5) manual paper Z-offset, then save. Nothing else is calibrated - no PID, no pressure advance, no input shaping, no flow, no skew, no belt tension[70]
PID autotune exposed to user?	Not documented	Not on the touchscreen. Stock config carries fixed factory PID constants for all three heaters: extruder Kp 26.213 / Ki 1.304 / Kd 131.721; inner bed Kp 75.397 / Ki 0.823 / Kd 1727.531; outer bed (heater_bed1) Kp 70.591 / Ki 1.055 / Kd 1180.632. Klipper's PID_CALIBRATE is reachable through the Fluidd console, and both community projects add UI macros for it - OpenNept4une ships section_extra_pid_macro.cfg, and mairyj adds "macros for PID Extruder / BED / BED2 (just for the Pro)" with the instruction "PLEASE MAKE THE PID BEFORE YOUR FIRST PRINT!!!"[71]
Flow-rate calibration tooling	Not documented	None from Elegoo. No flow calibration on screen and none in firmware. Community-supplied gcode test files exist (mairyj ships "Gcodes afin d'effectuer le test de pressure advance et debit" - pressure-advance and flow test files)[72]
Belt tension check/indicators	Not documented	Manual knob tensioners on X and Y, no indicator, no gauge, no firmware check. The manual's troubleshooting section directs users to "adjust the tension of the timing belt using the rotary knob" when they see rough motion, noise or layer misalignment[15]
First-layer inspection features	Not documented	No camera, no automated first-layer check. What exists is: a printed A/B/C first-layer comparison chart in the manual, and live Z-offset adjustment during printing in 0.01/0.1 mm steps (with an explicit warning to use the small increments to avoid dragging the nozzle across the plate)[73]
Skew calibration	Not documented	Not exposed. [skew_correction] is absent from the stock printer.cfg, even though skew_correction.py is present in Elegoo's own Klipper fork. No skew routine on screen[74]
Assembly level & time from unbox to first print	Ships 95% pre-assembled; Anycubic claims unbox to print in 10 minutes[1]	Semi-assembled, three modules (base + gantry + printhead) plus screen, spool arm, filament detector, rear fan assembly and cable clamp. Measured times: 20 min (3DWithUs), 20 min (ThePhonograph), ~15 min (TechRadar), 37 min unbox-to-first-print (TechGearLab). ~20 fasteners across 8 sizes[15]
Power-Loss & Interruption Recovery
Power-loss recovery: mechanism (how is state saved? capacitor / eeprom / file on shutdown?)	Not documented	Fully documented at source level. Hardware: an MCU power-off input (PWOFF on PA3) plus SoC-side PWRLOSS and PWRGOOD GPIO lines (gpiochip1 lines 10 and 19) and an on-board super-capacitor whose charging is enabled on gpiochip1 line 21; on a verified loss (5-sample majority debounce) the host runs systemctl poweroff so the filesystem is closed cleanly. State saving: to a file on eMMC - [save_variables] filename = /home/mks/klipper_config/saved_variables.cfg holding last_file, filepath, power_resume_z and was_interrupted. A LOG_Z macro writes power_resume_z from gcode_move.gcode_position.z during the print; PRINT_START sets was_interrupted=True and PRINT_END/CANCEL_PRINT clear it and run clear_plr. Resume: RESUME_INTERRUPTED calls host script /home/mks/plr.sh (timeout 420 s) with the Z height and filename, which builds a truncated gcode file under plr/, then SDCARD_PRINT_FILE FILENAME=plr/<file>; [force_move] enable_force_move: True and SET_KINEMATIC_POSITION allow motion before homing. No user setup required[75]
Verified working? Third-party test results; resume seam quality	Not documented	From Elegoo, with an honest caveat, and no instrumented third-party test. Firmware 1.1.3.1 (2024-07-05) introduced "power-loss recovery feature 2.0, greatly improving the success rate in power-loss scenarios" with the admission: "As the nozzle remains on the model after a power loss, there may be large unwanted blobs on the top surface when resuming printing, affecting the printing result. It is recommended to use flush cutters to trim the protruding blobs". Earlier, 1.1.2.53 noted the resume "checks the Z-axis height. If the Z-lift retraction is enabled during slicing, the power-off resume effect will be affected." The manual warns resume will fail if the plate has cooled and the part has detached. None of Tom's Hardware, TechRadar, TechGearLab, 3DWithUs, 3DPrinterBee, DIY Machines or ThePhonograph tested it. Community reports are mixed[76][20]
Filament-runout pause/resume behavior	Not documented	Fully specified in firmware and independently verified. pause_on_runout: True, event_delay: 3.0, pause_delay: 1.0; runout_gcode re-arms the sensor and emits an M118 alert. PAUSE retracts and hops (G1 E-2 X3 Z1 F2100, G1 Z4 F600), parks at X_min+5 / Y_max-5, retracts a further E-20, issues M25, and extends the idle timeout to 1200 s. RESUME restores both bed-zone and nozzle targets, waits for temperature, purges G1 E100 F200 with a 2 s dwell, wipes with five X+/-20 strokes at F15000, restores the saved gcode state with MOVE_SPEED=250, then M24. [pause_resume] recover_velocity: 50.0[77]
Materials Support
Officially supported filament list	Consumer grades: PLA, PETG, TPU (95A), TPU for ACE, PET, PLA-CF, PETG-CF, PVA. Engineering grades: ABS, ASA, PC, PA, PA6-CF, PC-CF/GF, PET-CF[1]	PLA / TPU / PETG / ABS / ASA / Nylon ("Filament Compatibility" spec field), with the caveat "ABS and ASA filament materials are recommended to be used in conjunction with a 3D Printer Enclosure". Firmware ships screen presets: PLA 205/60, ABS 240/80, PETG 220/70, TPU 230/50 (nozzle/bed C), plus a leveling preset of 140/60[2]
PLA/PETG/TPU results & constraints (min TPU shore hardness)	Not documented	PLA and PETG: excellent across reviews - Tom's gave Editor's Choice largely on print quality, 3DPrinterBee's 0.12 mm Deadpool bust was "absolutely perfect... you'd think it was printed with a resin printer", Tom's 18-min Benchy showed "only faint banding". TPU: well-suited on paper - 5.2:1 dual-gear direct drive with a short path and a user-adjustable idler spring (the manual explicitly explains adjusting spring strength for filaments of "different hardness"). Minimum TPU shore hardness: - never published[78]
ABS/ASA feasibility (enclosure/chamber constraints, warping reports)	Not documented	Possible but compromised. Constraints: open frame with no chamber heating and no filtration; a 250 W bed capped at 110 C; and a four-fan 4020 auxiliary cooling bar that must be switched off (the manual notes the rear fan is off in Silent mode, and fan modes are selectable). Elegoo's own guidance ties ABS/ASA to its $39.99 fabric enclosure. Community warping reports exist[2][16][79]
PC / Nylon / CF-filled feasibility (nozzle & extruder wear constraints)	Not documented	PC: effectively out of reach - needs ~110-120 C bed sustained plus a hot chamber; this machine caps at 110 C with no chamber heat. Nylon: marginal - printable at 250-270 C within the 300 C limit, but the PTFE liner running to the bottom of the throat (H9/G4) degrades at sustained high temperature, and nylon needs a dry chamber. CF/GF-filled: mechanically possible only with the hardened steel nozzle ($11.99, 0.4/0.6/0.8); the stock brass nozzle will wear rapidly, and the extruder gears are a documented wear item with official replacement procedures[46][41][16][20]
Effective material ceiling given hotend+bed+chamber limits (reasoned, cite limits)	Not documented	PLA, PETG and TPU without reservation; ABS and ASA only with the optional enclosure and the aux fan off; CF/GF-filled only after fitting the hardened steel nozzle. PC and high-temp nylons are out of practical reach without replacing the hotend. Reasoning chain, all from cited limits: (a) PTFE liner reaches the bottom of the throat pipe, so sustained >260 C degrades the liner; (b) the hotend thermistor is rated 300 C exactly, leaving zero margin; (c) gcode macros hard-clamp nozzle 300 C / bed 110 C regardless of what the slicer asks; (d) no heated chamber and no filtration; (e) bed uniformity measured at 12.8 C spread; (f) stock nozzle is brass[41][46][16]
Filament profile ecosystem in the recommended slicer	Not documented	Recommended slicer is ELEGOO Cura 4.8.0 (bundled on the USB drive; Elegoo also publishes ELEGOO-Cura4.8.0 and ELEGOO-Cura5.6.0 repos), with the manual urging users to prefer it "to ensure maximum tested compatibility". OrcaSlicer is well supported in practice: Elegoo submitted an OrcaSlicer PR, publishes an official "OrcaSlicer Parameter Configuration Import Tutorial", and firmware 1.1.3.2 added Orca/Prusa thumbnail support. Community profiles: OpenNept4une ships Orca profiles for n4pro; mairyj ships Cura PLA profiles plus start/end gcode for Cura and Orca[20]
Safety
Thermal runaway protection (verify in firmware source if at all possible)	Not documented	VERIFIED PRESENT AND UNMODIFIED. klippy/extras/verify_heater.py in Elegoo's published fork is byte-for-byte upstream Klipper HeaterCheck (header "Copyright (C) 2018 Kevin O'Connor", GPLv3), implementing both failure modes: cannot-reach-target (approaching_target with check_gain_time/heating_gain) and cannot-maintain-target (accumulated error >= max_error -> invoke_shutdown). The stock config enables it on all three heaters: [verify_heater extruder] max_error: 120, check_gain_time: 30, hysteresis: 10, heating_gain: 2; [verify_heater heater_bed] and [verify_heater heater_bed1] max_error: 600, check_gain_time: 120, hysteresis: 10, heating_gain: 2. Separately, heaters.py enforces the configured min/max range and raises "Requested temperature (%.1f) out of range"[80]
Certifications (UL/ETL/CE/FCC — verify, don't assume)	Not documented	No certification mark or number could be verified. Neither store spec table, the user manual, the "Must Read" sheet, nor any Elegoo wiki page lists a CE mark, FCC ID, UL file or ETL listing for this model. MatterHackers mentions an "Overheat protection switch" but no certification marks[2][20][6]
Hardware safety: fusing, strain reliefs, belt covers, pinch points	Not documented	Present: cable strain-relief bracket for the printhead harness plus a cable clamp (assembly steps); mainboard/PSU bottom cover (5 screws) with its own cooling fan; hardware power-fail detect inputs (PWOFF PA3, PWR DET); a third-party listing describes an "Overheat protection switch". Explicit manual warnings: grounding is mandatory ("Devices that are not grounded or improperly grounded inevitably increase the risk of electrical shock"), do not touch nozzle/bed when hot, "3D printers contain high-speed moving parts, so be careful not to get your hands caught", children require adult supervision, cut power in an emergency. Absent: no belt covers, no motion guarding, and the Pro's Y-axis motor is exposed rather than enclosed in the base. Fuse rating[49][6][15]
Firmware safety limits (max temp cutoffs — exact values)	Not documented	Extruder min_temp: 0 / max_temp: 310, max_power: 1, min_extrude_temp: 100. Inner bed and outer bed both min_temp: 0 / max_temp: 120, max_power: 1.0, pwm_cycle_time: 0.016. G-code clamps: nozzle 300 C, bed 110 C (both zones). [heater_fan fan1] shutdown_speed: 1 (heatbreak fan forced full on at shutdown). [virtual_sdcard] on_error_gcode lifts Z+25 at F900, runs TURN_OFF_HEATERS, M84, sets the part fan to 100/255 and sounds one long tone (M300 P10000 S1) followed by 11 short beeps (12 M300 calls total, printer.cfg lines 150-170). [idle_timeout] timeout: 3600 drops a >140 C nozzle to 120 C and disables the extruder, else turns all heaters off[81]
Known safety incidents / recalls / fire reports (with sources)	Not documented	For fire/recall - no recall, fire report or safety notice for the Neptune 4 Pro was found. Documented non-fire failure modes (all from Elegoo's own support wiki unless noted): "Blob of Death and Filament Leakage"; "Heated Bed Heating Failure"; "Proximity Switch Not Triggering & Extruder Continues Descending" (a nozzle-crash mode); "Touchscreen Does Not Turn On"; error codes including "TMC Stepper Y - OvertempWarning", "TMC Stepper Z - LowSideShort_A", "MCU Shutdown: ADC Out of Range" and "Unable to Open SPI Device". Plus eMMC bricking after mixing upstream Klipper updates, which required Elegoo to ship replacement hardware[20][46][49][61]
Noise & Power Consumption
Noise: claimed dB and independently measured dB (distance/method)	48 dB or less in standard mode, as low as 45 dB in quiet mode - manufacturer figures with no distance or method stated[1]	Claimed: no dB figure is published by Elegoo anywhere. There is NO dB measurement that is both model-attributed to the Pro AND distance-specified. Every candidate fails one test: (a) DIY Machines — 63 dB averaged at ~50 cm, 59.6 dB with the new fans disabled. Distance given, MODEL NOT GIVEN: the article reviews the Neptune 4 and the 4 Pro together and the sentence is verbatim "In my testing, they averaged 63dB from about 50cm (59.6dB with the new fans disabled)" — plural, no model named. (b) 3DPrinterBee — "over 60 decibels... peaks up to 70 decibels" with layer cooling, "around 35 decibels" without. Model given (Pro), DISTANCE NOT GIVEN, no instrument named, and 35 dB fans-off is implausibly low for a printing bedslinger. (c) Igor's Lab — 64.3 dB(A) fans-on / 57.8 dB(A) fans-off at ~40 cm: this is the NON-PRO Neptune 4 (re-verified 2026-08-19: "The review covers the standard Neptune 4 (non-Pro variant)"). Qualitative only, and unambiguous: Tom's Hardware — Sport mode "sounds like turning on a leaf-blower", "not quiet... can easily be heard from across a room or through a door"; TechRadar — the rear fan at "10,000 r/min" makes "quite a racket"; 3DPrinterBee — "the x-axis layer cooling is very loud"[82]
Silent/quiet mode available?	Not documented	Yes - and there are two independent, firmware-verified quiet controls. (1) PRINT_MODE SET=1 (Silent): max_velocity 500 -> 270, max_accel -> 8000 (factory default 4000), max_accel_to_decel 20000, en_spreadcycle_silent = 0 i.e. StealthChop is switched ON for the TMC2209s, and the ini's own (inert) fan entry reads 50%. (2) FAN_MODE SET=1 (Silent): the M106 override clamps part cooling to 153/255 = 60% — this is the value that actually takes effect — and, per the manual, the rear 4-fan bar is turned off in Silent mode. Persistence differs between the two controls, and the dossier previously got this wrong: PRINT_MODE does persist (cmd_PRINT_MODE rewrites elegoo_conf.ini via open(conf_ini_path,'w') + config.write), but FAN_MODE does not — cmd_FAN_MODE only sets self.fan_mode in RAM and toolhead.py initialises self.fan_mode = 0 (line 304), so fan mode reverts to Normal on every Klipper restart[83]
Power draw: idle / PLA print / high-temp print (measured preferred)	Not documented	Rated: 310 W PSU. Measured (Pro): 124-192 W while printing at 500 mm/s in Sport mode using only the 120x120 mm centre bed zone. No independent idle or high-temp figure exists for the Pro. Sibling data, NOT the Pro (non-Pro Neptune 4, single 250 W bed): 11 W idle, 23 W with motors energised, 330 W peak while heating nozzle to 220 C + bed to 60 C, ~70 W once at temperature, 160-190 W printing. TechRadar observed a power-consumption difference between the Pro and the non-Pro attributable to bed zoning but published no numbers. the one Pro figure that exists is not an instrumented measurement on the evidence available — see Notes[15][82]
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[84]	1 year ("Up To 1-Year Warranty", "Lifetime Support" on the store; MatterHackers lists "1 Year"). Support reputation is mixed-to-poor on evidence: TechGearLab scored Support 4.0/10, describing "three weeks of back-and-forth, response every day or two". Counter-evidence that Elegoo does honour claims: in the Klipper forum case a user who bricked the eMMC "ultimately required Elegoo to send replacement hardware", which they did. Elegoo also maintains an unusually deep self-service wiki (article index re-counted 2026-08-19: 11 Common Issues + 16 Error Codes + 11 Tutorial/Maintenance + 6 Pro-specific + 8 Parts Replacement + 3 Firmware/Image, plus a separate 11-article "Neptune 4 Pro+" section — part numbers and video links throughout)[2][6][61][20]
Common failure points (from long-term reviews/forums, with sources)	Not documented	Sourced list: (1) X/Y metal rod abrasion dust causing print defects, requiring routine cleaning/greasing (3DPrinterBee saw this in initial testing; the manual mandates periodic lubrication). (2) Loose POM wheels that cannot be tightened and Z-axis eccentric wheel misadjustment (both have dedicated Elegoo articles). (3) Bed leveling knobs shaking loose in use (lock nuts are the community fix). (4) "Blob of Death" / filament leakage around the nozzle and hotend (dedicated Elegoo article; 3DWithUs lost a print at 95% to a leak from a mismatched third-party nozzle). (5) Heated bed heating failure, incl. loose TB0/TB1 connectors and wrong voltage-selector position. (6) Abnormal / lost Z-offset (two firmware revisions targeted Z-offset persistence). (7) Touchscreen does not turn on, and a fragile phone-line-style screen connector. (8) Z lead-screw / lead-screw-nut binding and Z banding (community; Printables fixes exist). (9) Belts loose out of the box (TechRadar). (10) TMC Stepper Y OvertempWarning and Z LowSideShort_A error codes. (11) eMMC bricking after mixing upstream Klipper/Crowsnest/timelapse updates onto the stock image. (12) Y-axis rubbing noise at higher speeds; auxiliary cooling fan failing. (13) Dead-on-arrival / early-life electronics failure: TechGearLab's review unit suffered "connectivity failures and firmware freezing that required ordering a replacement unit to complete testing" the only documented instance of a reviewer needing a replacement machine, and a data point the dossier previously omitted while citing that review throughout[20][22][46][49][85][61][79]
Spare parts availability & pricing (nozzle, hotend, plate, board, belts)	Not documented	Official (us.elegoo.com, fetched 2026-08-18, all in stock unless noted): Assembled Extruder Hotend Kit for Neptune 4/4 Pro $19.99 (Ribbon-Cable and Type-C variants); Assembled Extruder Kit for Neptune 4 Pro $39.99 (Ribbon-Cable); Multi-Size Brass Nozzle Kit $9.99; Hardened Steel Nozzle Kit (0.4/0.6/0.8) $11.99; Dual-Sided Build Plate (4/4 Pro) $19.99; Proximity Sensor $12.99; Touchscreen for Neptune 4 Series $33.99; Enclosure $39.99. Not sold for the 4/4 Pro: mainboard (only a Plus/Max "STM 32-bit Silent Motherboard" at $64.99, out of stock), PSU, belts, stepper motors, lead screws, PTFE tube. Third party: Micro Swiss FlowTech hotend; 24 V 50 W heater + thermistor sets[16][48][45]
Community size (subreddit size, wiki quality, Discord/Facebook groups)	Not documented	Subreddit member counts could not be retrieved - reddit.com/r/*/about.json returned HTTP 403 and the search tool surfaced no Reddit threads for this model. Verifiable community footprint instead: OpenNept4une GitHub with an active Discord invite and 423+ issues filed, still active in 2026 (34 issues match "neptune 4 pro" alone, several with 45-58 comments); a French-language project (mairyj) with a full YouTube tutorial playlist and per-motor config variants; Elegoo's own wiki with ~40 Neptune 4 Pro articles plus video links; multiple Klipper Discourse threads; and an active Printables mod ecosystem (Z stabilisers, runout-sensor holders, ADXL mounts, anti-vibration feet, linear-rail mods)[86][63][20]
Mod/upgrade ecosystem	Not documented	Strong for the price class. Software: OpenNept4une (full OS/firmware replacement), display_connector (keeps the stock touchscreen working), KAMP adaptive meshing, Mainsail/Fluidd/Mobileraker, Obico. Hardware: Micro Swiss FlowTech all-metal hotend; MGN9H X-axis and dual-Y linear-rail kits; eMMC upgrade to 32 GB; USB Wi-Fi dongle; official fabric enclosure; FYSETC Portable Input Shaper or an RP2040 Pico as an ADXL345 host; hardened steel nozzles; Z-axis stabilisers and anti-vibration feet from Printables; repurposing the free E1 stepper driver for independent dual Z[48][55][62]
Long-term (6–12 month) reliability reports	Not documented	Mixed, and thinner than it should be. Positive: 3DWithUs reported no need to re-level "after 20 and counting prints"; ThePhonograph scored Performance, Print Quality and Power Consumption 5/5; Tom's Hardware kept recommending it in later deal coverage. Negative: TechGearLab, reviewing in December 2024 (~13 months after launch), ranked it last of 11 printers at 53/100, could not get auto-leveling to work, and scored print quality 5.2/10. Structural: OpenNept4une issue traffic shows machines in service and being modified through 2026, but also that the newest board/printhead revisions are unsupported. No systematic 6-12 month teardown or duty-cycle study exists for this model[15][87]
Independently Measured Performance
Dimensional accuracy measurements (third-party, with numbers)	Not documented	TechRadar, calipered, all axes undersize: target 25 mm -> X 24.71 / Y 24.71; 20 -> 19.66 / 19.73; 15 -> 14.89 / 14.85; 10 -> 9.73 / 9.90; 5 -> 4.88 / 4.93. Mean error X 0.23 mm, Y 0.18 mm, combined 0.20 mm. TechGearLab measured the effective bed as 224 x 224 mm. Elegoo claims "Print Precision: +/-0.1mm"[88]
Surface quality / VFA / ringing assessments	Not documented	TechRadar sub-scores (out of 5): fine flow control 2.5, fine negative features 3, overhangs 5, bridging 5, XY resonance 2.5, Z-axis alignment 2.5. TechGearLab: "prominent seams, bridging and overhang separations, and consistent waves and wobbles"; Print Quality 5.2/10. Tom's Hardware: 18-min Benchy with "only faint banding on the hull". 3DPrinterBee: Deadpool bust at 0.12 mm layers "absolutely perfect... you'd think it was printed with a resin printer"[89]
Benchmark print times (source + settings)	Not documented	Benchy 18 min - Elegoo's bundled EN4PRO_3DBenchy-18min.gcode, Sport mode / 500 mm/s, verified printed by three outlets. Benchy 47.60 min - TechGearLab's own standardised (non-speed-optimised) settings. Torture test 1 h 25 min @ 0.28 mm layers. Sandcastle 9 h 14 min - OrcaSlicer default 0.2 mm. Articulated Phoenix 4-5 h; Kickstarter test model 2 h. Same object: 10 h 08 min @ 250 mm/s vs 19 h 22 min @ 50 mm/s — SLICER ESTIMATES, not measured (see D10)[15]
First-layer consistency reports	Not documented	. 3DWithUs: stable first layers with no re-leveling needed "after 20 and counting prints". TechRadar: "the automatic bed levelling system proved faultless". TechGearLab: "An auto-leveling print bed feature is advertised, but we could not get it to work", and reported prominent seams. Tom's Hardware: leveling is "the primary weak point" and "Build platform leveling requires manual input" is listed as a con[90]
Review scores from major outlets (list outlet + score + date)	Not documented	Tom's Hardware - 4.5/5 (see caveat), Editor's Choice (Andrew Sink, 19 Nov 2023). TechGearLab - 53/100, ranked #11 of 11 (23 Dec 2024); sub-scores Print Quality 5.2/10 (40%), Ease of Use 5.4/10 (30%), Print Capabilities 6.0/10 (20%), Support 4.0/10 (10%). TechRadar - 4/5 stars and 23.5/30 on its print-quality test battery, Alastair Jennings, published 11 August 2023. ThePhonograph - nine category scores of 4.5-5/5 (Accessories & Packaging 4.5, Design 4.75, Assembly 4.75, Display Screen 4.75, Operation & Control 5, Construction & Build 4.5, Performance 5, Print Quality 5, Power Consumption 5); no dated overall figure. 3DPrinterBee, 3DWithUs and DIY Machines published no numeric score[15]

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

Anycubic Kobra S1 Max product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
firmware/official-1.1.3.2-extracted/N4Pro 1.2A - Firmware 1.1.3.2/ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg line 2; elegoo_conf.ini line 2; https://us.elegoo.com/products/elegoo-nept us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · doc
Anycubic Kobra S1 Max Shopify product JSON (variant prices and store publish date) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
https://www.3dsourced.com/news/elegoo-release-new-neptune-4-series-starting-at-259/; docs/Must_Read_NEPTUNE_4_Pro_20231020.pdf (PDF CreationDate 2023-10-20); https://www. 3dsourced.com · 2026-08 · doc
https://www.3dsourced.com/news/elegoo-release-new-neptune-4-series-starting-at-259/; docs/Must_Read_NEPTUNE_4_Pro_20231020.pdf (PDF CreationDate 2023-10-20); https://www. tomshardware.com · 2026-08 · doc
https://www.3dsourced.com/news/elegoo-release-new-neptune-4-series-starting-at-259/; https://us.elegoo.com/products/elegoo-neptune-4-pro-fdm-3d-printer; https://www.matte matterhackers.com · 2026-08 · doc
Live Shopify product JSON re-fetched 2026-08-19: https://us.elegoo.com/products/elegoo-neptune-4-pro-fdm-3d-printer.js (price: 22900, compare_at_price: 27400, variants "R us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · doc
Live Shopify product JSON re-fetched 2026-08-19: https://us.elegoo.com/products/elegoo-neptune-4-pro-fdm-3d-printer.js (price: 22900, compare_at_price: 27400, variants "R elegoo.com · 2026-08 · doc
Live Shopify product JSON re-fetched 2026-08-19: https://us.elegoo.com/products/elegoo-neptune-4-pro-fdm-3d-printer.js (price: 22900, compare_at_price: 27400, variants "R us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · doc
Anycubic Kobra S1 product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
https://www.elegoo.com/blogs/3d-printing/neptune-4-series-how-to-identify-your-printer-version (Nov 25, 2025); firmware/mairyj-Neptune-4-Series/Neptune 4 Pro/My printer.c elegoo.com · 2026-08 · doc
https://www.elegoo.com/blogs/3d-printing/neptune-4-series-how-to-identify-your-printer-version (Nov 25, 2025); firmware/mairyj-Neptune-4-Series/Neptune 4 Pro/My printer.c github.com · 2026-08 · doc
https://www.elegoo.com/blogs/3d-printing/neptune-4-series-how-to-identify-your-printer-version (Nov 25, 2025); firmware/mairyj-Neptune-4-Series/Neptune 4 Pro/My printer.c github.com · 2026-08 · doc
https://www.elegoo.com/blogs/3d-printing/neptune-4-series-how-to-identify-your-printer-version (Nov 25, 2025); firmware/mairyj-Neptune-4-Series/Neptune 4 Pro/My printer.c github.com · 2026-08 · doc
https://us.elegoo.com/products/elegoo-neptune-4-pro-fdm-3d-printer; evidence/diymachines-review.md; https://www.thephonograph.net/electronics-tech-reviews/elegoo-neptune- thephonograph.net · 2026-08 · doc
https://us.elegoo.com/collections/neptune-4-series-accessories (products.json, 2026-08-18) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · doc
Searched: Elegoo product page + full spec table, Elegoo wiki Neptune 4 Pro hub (all listed articles), Tom's Hardware, TechRadar, TechGearLab, 3DWithUs, 3DPrinterBee, DIY project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg line 362 project evidence · 2026-08 · local
evidence/diymachines-review.md ("all metal dual-axis guide rails", "double-row ball U-shaped bearing"); evidence/tomshardware-review.md ("metal rods on the X and Y-axes.. project evidence · 2026-08 · local
evidence/diymachines-review.md; evidence/tomshardware-review.md; https://wiki.elegoo.com/neptune/neptune-4-pro (hub lists "Y-Axis Bearing Adjustment" + Pro-specific tensi wiki.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · doc
Official: https://wiki.elegoo.com/neptune/neptune-4-4-pro-how-to-replace-the-z-axis-lead-screw ("Rotate both couplings of the lead screw simultaneously"; timing pulleys + wiki.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · doc
Official: https://wiki.elegoo.com/neptune/neptune-4-4-pro-how-to-replace-the-z-axis-lead-screw ("Rotate both couplings of the lead screw simultaneously"; timing pulleys + wiki.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · doc
Official: https://wiki.elegoo.com/neptune/neptune-4-4-pro-how-to-replace-the-z-axis-lead-screw ("Rotate both couplings of the lead screw simultaneously"; timing pulleys + the3dprinterbee.com · 2026-08 · doc
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg [tmc2209 stepper_x/y/z/extruder], [stepper_x], [stepper_y], [stepper_z]; firmware/OpenNept4une/pictures/ZNP_K1_V1.1_PIN.png (XDIAG/YDIAG project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg [stepper_x], [stepper_y], [stepper_z], [extruder], [tmc2209...] project evidence · 2026-08 · local
evidence/tomshardware-review.md; evidence/techradar-review.md; evidence/diymachines-review.md; docs/NEPTUNE_4_PRO_User_Manual_English_V1.5.pdf p.1 project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg [printer], [bed_mesh], [safe_z_home], [gcode_macro RESUME] project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg lines 361-368; elegoo_conf.ini [speed_mode], [printer] project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg lines 363-367; elegoo_conf.ini [printer], [speed_mode], [speed_adaptive]; firmware/Neptune4-official/klipper/klippy/toolhead.py cmd_PRIN project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg line 368, line 109 project evidence · 2026-08 · local
Searched for My Tech Fun / Igor Gaspar, 3DPrintBeginner, CNC Kitchen, Teaching Tech flow tests - none for this model. Reviews fetched (Tom's, TechRadar, TechGearLab, 3DWi project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg lines 370-376; firmware/Neptune4-official/klipper/klippy/extras/input_shaper.py, shaper_calibrate.py, resonance_tester.py all present project evidence · 2026-08 · local
Elegoo's own wiki: https://wiki.elegoo.com/machines/neptune/troubleshooting/neptune-4-4-pro/does-neptune-44-pro-support-the-installation-of-input-shaping-sensors - verbat wiki.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · doc
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg lines 370-376 (hard-coded frequencies, no calibration macro anywhere in the file); https://wiki.elegoo.com/machines/neptune/troubleshoot wiki.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · doc
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg lines 370-376; firmware/OpenNept4une/printer-confs/n4pro/n4pro.cfg lines 28-31 project evidence · 2026-08 · local
evidence/techradar-review.md; evidence/techgearlab-review.md; evidence/tomshardware-review.md; withdrawn community figures: no citable source — see Value column project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg line 107 project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg (no load-cell or load_cell section; probe is [probe] pin:^PA11 inductive); docs/NEPTUNE_4_PRO_User_Manual_English_V1.5.pdf p.11 (spring- project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg lines 108-114 project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg line 96 project evidence · 2026-08 · local
https://wiki.elegoo.com/neptune/neptune-4-pro/nozzle-assembly-replacement - verbatim: *"Take out the new nozzle assembly (You need to re-insert the Teflon pipe, making su wiki.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · doc
docs/NEPTUNE_4_PRO_User_Manual_English_V1.5.pdf p.11; firmware/mairyj-Neptune-4-Series/Neptune 4 Pro/Official Update/Neptune 4 Pro - Firmware 1.1.3.2 - official/Update lo project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg line 98 (max_temp: 310), lines 637-660 (the macros take the minimum of the requested S value and 300); elegoo_conf.ini line 9 \ project evidence · 2026-08 · local
Searched: https://us.elegoo.com/products/elegoo-neptune-4-pro-fdm-3d-printer (full spec table), manual, https://wiki.elegoo.com/neptune/neptune-4-pro/heater-and-thermisto wiki.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · doc
Searched: https://us.elegoo.com/products/elegoo-neptune-4-pro-fdm-3d-printer (full spec table), manual, https://wiki.elegoo.com/neptune/neptune-4-pro/heater-and-thermisto amazon.com · 2026-08 · doc
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg lines 100-101; https://wiki.elegoo.com/neptune/Neptune-4-4-pro-blob-of-death-and-filament-leakage (verbatim thermistor spec); firmware/O wiki.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · doc
https://us.elegoo.com/products/multi-size-brass-nozzle-kit-for-neptune-4-4-pro (Shopify product JSON, 2026-08-19: price 999, variants Ribbon-Cable + Type-C, both availabl us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · doc
https://us.elegoo.com/products/multi-size-brass-nozzle-kit-for-neptune-4-4-pro (Shopify product JSON, 2026-08-19: price 999, variants Ribbon-Cable + Type-C, both availabl store.micro-swiss.com · 2026-08 · doc
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg lines 122-141 and 617-635; firmware/OpenNept4une/pictures/ZNP_K1_V1.1_PIN.png (HB0 PB10 / HB1 PC8 / TB0 PA0 / TB1 PC2); https://wiki.ele wiki.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · doc
evidence/techgearlab-review.md ("Bed temperature gradient measured: 12.8 C") project evidence · 2026-08 · local
docs/NEPTUNE_4_PRO_User_Manual_English_V1.5.pdf p.10 (full procedure) and docs/Must_Read_NEPTUNE_4_Pro_20231020.pdf p.4;.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg line 424 project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg lines 181-187 (PRINT_START) and 401-442; evidence/3dwithus-review.md; evidence/techgearlab-review.md ("An auto-leveling print bed featur project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg lines 339-347; firmware/OpenNept4une/pictures/ZNP_K1_V1.1_PIN.png (MT-DET1 / PA12); docs/NEPTUNE_4_PRO_User_Manual_English_V1.5.pdf p.2 project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg lines 719-724 (m600), lines 253-291 (PAUSE retracts E-2 then E-20 and parks at X_min+5 / Y_max-5), lines 295-337 (RESUME reheats, purges project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg (single [extruder], no [extruder1], no toolchanger); firmware/OpenNept4une/pictures/ZNP_K1_V1.1_PIN.png (E1-AXIS block populated on the github.com · 2026-08 · doc
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg lines 356-359; firmware/OpenNept4une/pictures/ZNP_K1_V1.1_PIN.png (FAN3/FAN1 PA8); docs/NEPTUNE_4_PRO_User_Manual_English_V1.5.pdf p.17 project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg lines 352-359, 726-740; firmware/Neptune4-official/klipper/klippy/extras/fan.py line 111 (gcode.register_command("MKS_M106", self.cmd_MK project evidence · 2026-08 · local
firmware/OpenNept4une/dtb/n4-n4pro-v1.1/rk3328-znp-v1x.dts line 8 (model = "Makerbase mks-pi", rockchip,rk3328-* compatibles, Mali-450 GPU); curl of https://raw.githubuse raw.githubusercontent.com · 2026-08 · doc
evidence/tomshardware-review.md (spec table: "PSU 310W"); docs/NEPTUNE_4_PRO_User_Manual_English_V1.5.pdf p.1 ("Output Power : 24V"); evidence/diymachines-review.md ("Int project evidence · 2026-08 · local
firmware/OpenNept4une/pictures/ZNP_K1_V1.1_PIN.png (read directly - all header labels above); https://github.com/OpenNeptune3D/OpenNept4une/issues/138 (E1 pins confirmed github.com · 2026-08 · doc
GitHub API elegooofficial/Neptune4: created_at 2025-12-17T06:44:51Z, pushed_at 2026-07-29T12:31:34Z, size 4553, license: null; local shallow clone firmware/Neptune4-offic klipper.discourse.group · 2026-08 · doc
https://github.com/OpenNeptune3D/OpenNept4une/wiki (credentials and serial baud rate); corroborated at by paths throughout the shipped package: /home/mks/klipper/, /home/ github.com · 2026-08 · doc
firmware/OpenNept4une/README.md (feature list verbatim) @ commit 33f60559 (2026-03-10); firmware/OpenNept4une/printer-confs/n4pro/*; firmware/OpenNept4une/mcu-firmware/RE github.com · 2026-08 · doc
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/ (the update payload itself: printer.cfg, elegoo_conf.ini, extra_update.tar, ELEGOO_APP_factory.deb, wpa_supplicant-wlan0.conf); firmware/mairyj-... wiki.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · doc
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg lines 556-773 (all macros); M104 637-647, M109 649-660, M191 663-674, M190 676-688, M140 690-701, M141 703-712, m600 719-724, M106 726-7 project evidence · 2026-08 · local
tar -tvf.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/extra_update.tar (21 members; root-owned /etc/fstab, /etc/init.d/taskset-client.sh, /boot/dtb/rockchip/rk3328-roc-cc.dtb); https://github.co itsalllost.com · 2026-08 · doc
curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/OpenNeptune3D/Armbian-ZNP-K1-build/main/config/boards/znp-k1.conf (BOARDFAMILY="rockchip64", BOOTCONFIG="roc-cc-rk3328_defconfig", itsalllost.com · 2026-08 · doc
curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/OpenNeptune3D/Armbian-ZNP-K1-build/main/userpatches/linux-rockchip64-current.config (CONFIG_TUN=y, CONFIG_WIREGUARD=m, CONFIG_NF_TA raw.githubusercontent.com · 2026-08 · doc
tar -tvf.../extra_update.tar (member ownership mks/mks; /home/mks/... paths - proves the account, not the password); https://github.com/OpenNeptune3D/OpenNept4une/wiki (s chris-potter.co.uk · 2026-08 · doc
docs/NEPTUNE_4_PRO_User_Manual_English_V1.5.pdf p.10 (full 6-bullet procedure verbatim); docs/Must_Read_NEPTUNE_4_Pro_20231020.pdf p.4 (same);.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printe project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg lines 103-106, 127-130, 623-626; docs/NEPTUNE_4_PRO_User_Manual_English_V1.5.pdf p.8 (no PID item in the screen inventory); firmware/Ope project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg (no flow calibration macro in 774 lines); docs/NEPTUNE_4_PRO_User_Manual_English_V1.5.pdf p.8; firmware/mairyj-Neptune-4-Series/README.m project evidence · 2026-08 · local
docs/NEPTUNE_4_PRO_User_Manual_English_V1.5.pdf p.11 (A/B/C chart with under-extrusion / ideal / poor-adhesion cases) and p.12 (live nozzle-height adjustment + warning) project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg (774 lines read in full - no [skew_correction]); firmware/Neptune4-official/klipper/klippy/extras/skew_correction.py exists; docs/NEPTUN project evidence · 2026-08 · local
firmware/mairyj-Neptune-4-Series/Neptune 4 Pro/Old version before 27 Oct 2023/backup origin file/plr.cfg (complete file: save_last_file, clear_last_file, [gcode_shell_com project evidence · 2026-08 · local
firmware/mairyj-Neptune-4-Series/Neptune 4 Pro/Official Update/Neptune 4 Pro - Firmware 1.1.3.2 - official/Update log-4_4PRO.txt (verbatim 1.1.3.1 item 2 and 1.1.2.53 ite youtu.be · 2026-08 · doc
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg lines 250-347 ([pause_resume], PAUSE, RESUME, [filament_switch_sensor fila]) project evidence · 2026-08 · local
evidence/3dprinterbee-review.md; evidence/tomshardware-review.md; evidence/techradar-review.md (fine flow control 2.5/5, bridging 5/5, overhangs 5/5); docs/NEPTUNE_4_PRO_ project evidence · 2026-08 · local
https://us.elegoo.com/products/elegoo-neptune-4-pro-fdm-3d-printer (enclosure caveat, verbatim); https://us.elegoo.com/collections/neptune-4-series-accessories (enclosure github.com · 2026-08 · doc
firmware/Neptune4-official/klipper/klippy/extras/verify_heater.py (read in full - 4406 bytes, unmodified upstream); firmware/Neptune4-official/klipper/klippy/extras/heate project evidence · 2026-08 · local
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/printer.cfg lines 97-114, 122-133, 148-170, 356-359, 381-392, 617-629, 637-712 project evidence · 2026-08 · local
evidence/diymachines-review.md (63 dB @ 50 cm; 59.6 dB fans off); evidence/3dprinterbee-review.md (>60 dB, peaks 70 dB, ~35 dB without cooling); evidence/tomshardware-rev igorslab.de · 2026-08 · doc
.../ELEGOO_UPDATE_DIR/elegoo_conf.ini [speed_mode] lines 41-63 (verbatim max_velocity_silent = 270, max_accel_silent = 8000, en_spreadcycle_silent = 0, fan_max_percent_si project evidence · 2026-08 · local
Anycubic refund and warranty policy store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
evidence/3dprinterbee-review.md; docs/NEPTUNE_4_PRO_User_Manual_English_V1.5.pdf NOTES item 5 + Troubleshooting page; https://wiki.elegoo.com/neptune/neptune-4-pro (Commo forum.makerforums.info · 2026-08 · doc
Attempted: curl https://www.reddit.com/r/{ElegooNeptune4,elegoo,3Dprinting}/about.json -> HTTP 403 for all three; https://github.com/OpenNeptune3D/OpenNept4une (Discord l reddit.com · 2026-08 · doc
evidence/3dwithus-review.md; https://www.thephonograph.net/electronics-tech-reviews/elegoo-neptune-4-pro-review/; evidence/techgearlab-review.md (dated 23 December 2024, tomshardware.com · 2026-08 · doc
evidence/techradar-review.md (full measurement table, "X error avg 0.23 mm, Y error avg 0.18 mm, X&Y avg 0.2 mm", accuracy score 3/5); evidence/techgearlab-review.md; doc project evidence · 2026-08 · local
evidence/techradar-review.md; evidence/techgearlab-review.md; evidence/tomshardware-review.md; evidence/3dprinterbee-review.md project evidence · 2026-08 · local
evidence/3dwithus-review.md; evidence/techradar-review.md; evidence/techgearlab-review.md; evidence/tomshardware-review.md project evidence · 2026-08 · local