3D Printing Info

Printer comparison

Bambu Lab X1E vs QIDI Plus4

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

2 selected · all documented properties

Bambu Lab X1E vs QIDI Plus4 — documented properties and sources
PropertyBambu Lab X1ECOREXYQIDI Plus4COREXY
Identity
BrandBambu LabQIDI
ClassCOREXYCOREXY
Identity & Market
Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first)Bambu Lab X1E; spec PDF header "Bambu Lab X1E Technical Specification"[1]QIDI Plus4, sold as "Plus4 3D Printer". QIDI's own wiki files it under X-Plus4[2][3]
Release date (announcement and actual shipping)Not documentedAnnounced September 2024; QIDI ran launch promotional pricing in the week of 20-27 September 2024 (secondary reporting, not a QIDI press release)[4]
Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry)Not documented$649.00 on us.qidi3d.com for the Plus4 + 1 filament variant against a $799.00 compare-at price; $699.00 on qidi3d.com against $799.00. Checked Aug 2026[2][3]
Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk)Enterprise variant of the X1-Carbon, not a trim level. Differences from the X1C, from the two manufacturer spec sheets side by side: active chamber heating to 60 C (X1C has none), 320 C vs 300 C hot end, Smooth PEI plate included vs Cool/Engineering plates, G3+H12+carbon filter stack vs carbon filter only, Ethernet with a network kill switch, removable network module and 802.1X vs Wi-Fi only, 16 kg vs 14.13 kg, and 1400 W at 220 V / 750 W at 110 V vs 1000 W / 350 W[1][5]Two purchasable variants: Plus4 + Filament x1 at $649 and Plus4 Combo + Filament x1 at $799 (Combo adds the QIDI Box multi-material unit). Distinct from the older X-Plus 3 (280x280x270, 350 °C) and from the newer Plus5 (320x320x300)[3][2]
Market position: superseded? successor announced?Not present in the Bambu Lab US store 3D-printer collection in Aug 2026, which lists A1, A1 mini, A2L, P1S, P2S, X2D, H2S, H2D and H2C. Bambu sells business machines through a separate Business & Institution channel, so absence from the consumer collection is not proof of discontinuation; no live first-party price could be recorded[6]Superseded at the top of the large-format line by the Plus5, launched 5 August 2026 with 18% more build volume; Plus4 still listed and in stock Aug 2026[7][8]
Physical & Frame
Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable256 x 256 x 256 mm (manufacturer figure)[1]305 x 305 x 280 mm advertised. No independently measured usable envelope found[2][4]
Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang)389 x 389 x 457 mm - identical to the X1-Carbon[1]505 x 487 x 550 mm[4]
Net weight (kg)16 kg net (against 14.13 kg for the X1-Carbon)[1][5]32 kg gross (3DJake). QIDI does not publish a net weight on the product page[4]
Frame construction & materialSteel chassis with an aluminium and glass shell[1]Enclosed CoreXY chassis with double-layer chamber insulation; QIDI does not publish a frame material breakdown[2]
Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lidFully enclosed with a door sensor, and the only X1 with active chamber heating; the chamber is controlled to a maximum of 60 C[1]Fully enclosed, double-layer insulated chamber with second-generation active heating to 65 °C[2][4]
Passive chamber temperature reached (if enclosed; measured values preferred)Actively heated chamber, maximum controlled temperature 60 C (manufacturer figure; not a passive measurement)[1]65 °C, actively heated by a 400 W heater which QIDI says reaches setpoint in about 8 minutes (manufacturer claim)[2][4]
Kinematics & Motion Hardware
Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other)CoreXY, two stepper motors with one belt each (X1 series motion system)[9]CoreXY[4]
X-axis guide type (rods / linear rails / V-wheels; size)Carbon X rail as on the X1-Carbon (X1 series toolhead and gantry)[10]Not documented
Z-axis: leadscrew count & type, sync mechanism, anti-backlashThree leadscrews belt-driven from a single stepper motor, whole bed moving in Z (X1 series)[9]Dual independent Z motors on 10 mm linear shafts and screws[2]
Speed & Acceleration
Max print speed (claimed, mm/s)500 mm/s max toolhead speed (manufacturer claim); no independent measurement found[1]600 mm/s (manufacturer claim, tool-head maximum)[4]
Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²)20 m/s2 = 20000 mm/s2 max toolhead acceleration (manufacturer claim)[1]<=20,000 mm/s2 (manufacturer claim)[4]
Max volumetric flow claimed (mm³/s)32 mm3/s claimed on a 150x150 mm single-wall model in Bambu ABS at 280 C[1]Not documented
Extruder
Type (direct drive / bowden) & design nameDirect drive with hardened-steel extruder gears[1]Direct drive with hardened steel dual gears, 1.75 mm filament[2][4]
Hotend & Nozzle
Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?)All-metal hotend with a hardened-steel nozzle; 0.4 mm included, 0.2/0.6/0.8 mm optional; built-in filament cutter[1]Second-generation 80 W bimetal hotend with a multi-metal composite hardened-tip nozzle; 0.4 mm standard, 0.2/0.5/0.8 mm optional[2][4]
Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values)320 C claimed max hot-end temperature - 20 C above the X1-Carbon[1][5]<=370 °C claimed. No firmware max_temp verified for this model[2][4]
Heater cartridge power (W)Not documented80 W hotend heater (manufacturer figure)[2]
Heated Bed & Surface
Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit110 C at 220 V, 120 C at 110 V max build-plate temperature[1]Conflicting manufacturer figures: QIDI's own Plus4 page states a 100 °C bed temperature, 3DJake's spec table states <=120 °C. Not resolved; the lower vendor-published figure is used as the sortable value[2][4]
Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sidedFlexible steel plate, Smooth PEI plate included; High Temperature, Textured PEI and Cool plates optional[1]6 mm aluminium-substrate heated bed with a double-sided textured PEI plate[2][4]
Leveling & Z-Offset
Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe)Nozzle-touch probing on the three ceramic heatbed force sensors, plus the Bambu micro-lidar for first-layer inspection[1][11]Full-auto calibration; QIDI markets "hands-free automatic" levelling and does not name the probe technology on the product page[2][4]
Filament Handling & Detection
Filament runout sensor (type, location)Yes - run-out sensor and door sensor; odometry with AMS[1]Filament run-out sensor, plus a filament cutter and filament tangle detection (tangle mechanism not described)[4]
Multi-material/multi-color capability or official upgrade pathNot documentedQIDI Box multi-material unit supported; sold bundled as the Plus4 Combo[2][3]
Cooling & Air Handling
Part-cooling fan(s): count, size, ducting designPart-cooling fan, hot-end fan, control-board fan, chamber temperature regulator fan and auxiliary part-cooling fan, all closed-loop controlled[1]Auxiliary part-cooling fan plus a chamber circulation fan; fan sizes and duct design not published[4]
Chamber/exhaust fan & filtration (activated carbon / HEPA)G3 pre-filter, H12 HEPA filter and granulated coconut-shell activated-carbon filter; VOC filtration rated Optimal and particulate filtration present[1]Not documented
Electronics & Power
Mainboard model & MCU (exact chip markings if teardowns exist)Motion controller dual-core Cortex-M4; application processor quad ARM A7 at 1.2 GHz with a 2 TOPS NPU; 4 GB eMMC[1]Not documented
Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto)Not documented100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz[4]
Total rated power draw100-240 VAC 50/60 Hz; 1400 W at 220 V, 750 W at 110 V[1]450 W plus 400 W for chamber heating (rated)[4]
Firmware & Openness
Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary)Closed-source proprietary firmware - not a Klipper or Marlin derivative, and no printer-firmware source is published. The bambulab GitHub organisation carries 11 repositories (Bambu Studio, wxWidgets/boost/ffmpeg forks, the wiki); none is printer firmware. Updates are delivered over the air via Bambu Studio / Bambu Handy[12]Klipper v0.12, described by QIDI as open source. Fork details and current release not published on the product page[2]
Connectivity, UI & Camera
Display: size, type, touch?5-inch 1280x720 touchscreen[1]5-inch touchscreen, 800 x 480[2][4]
On-device UI capabilities (model preview, per-object controls, etc.)Touchscreen plus app and PC application[1]Not documented
WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-driveWi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) plus 100 Mbps full-duplex RJ45 Ethernet, a network kill switch covering both Wi-Fi and Ethernet, a removable network module and 802.1X network access control - the feature set that distinguishes the X1E from every other Bambu machine. 4 GB eMMC and a microSD card reader[1]Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, Ethernet, USB[2][4]
Cloud service & phone app; LAN-only mode possible?Not documentedMobile and computer control, remote cloud or LAN-only operation[2]
Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps)Built-in 1920x1080 chamber monitoring camera; micro-lidar also fitted[1]Built-in low-frame-rate camera, up to 1080p, timelapse supported[2][4]
Calibration Routines & QoL
Assembly level & time from unbox to first printNot documentedQIDI claims about 10 minutes from unbox to printing[2]
Power-Loss & Interruption Recovery
Power-loss recovery: mechanism (how is state saved? capacitor / eeprom / file on shutdown?)Not documentedPower-loss recovery listed; mechanism not published[4]
Materials Support
Officially supported filament listOptimal: PLA, PETG, TPU, PVA, BVOH. Superior: ABS, ASA, PC, PA, PET and carbon/glass-fibre reinforced PLA, PETG, PA, PET, PC, ABS, ASA. Ideal: PPA-CF/GF, PPS, PPS-CF/GF[1]PLA, ABS, ASA, PETG, TPU, PA, PC, PA-CF/GF, PET-CF/GF, PPA-CF/GF, PPS-CF and other CF/GF-filled polymers[2][4]
Safety
Thermal runaway protection (verify in firmware source if at all possible)Firmware over-temperature protection is documented for the X1 series: HMS_0300-0200-0001-0003 fires when the heater runs at full power without reaching target in time. Thresholds are not published and the firmware is closed-source[13]Not documented
Reliability, Support & Ecosystem
Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes)2-year limited warranty for consumers in the US, Canada, the EU, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland; 1 year in the rest of the world. Bambu Lab's own policy records the US/Canada term as a 2026 extension from one year to two[14]1-year coverage, 14-day no-reason return, 30-day price protection[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. Bambu Lab X1E Technical Specification (PDF) cdn1.bambulab.com · 2026-08 · doc
  2. QIDI Plus4 product page (global store) qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. QIDI Plus4 product page (US store) us.qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. QIDI Tech Plus4 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Bambu Lab X1-Carbon - Technical Specifications (PDF) public-cdn.bambulab.com · 2026-08 · doc
  6. Bambu Lab US Store - 3D Printers collection listing (base prices, Aug 2026) us.store.bambulab.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. QIDI Plus5 product page (US store) us.qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. QIDI Plus5 launch write-up 3dprintbeginner.com · 2026-08 · review
  9. Bambu Lab Wiki - X1 introduction wiki.bambulab.com · 2026-08 · doc
  10. PRNewswire - Bambu Lab Launches X1 Series, 23 May 2022 (Kickstarter dates and MSRP table) prnewswire.com · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Bambu Lab Wiki - Replace the Heatbed Sensor Unit / Heatbed Piezo Interface Board wiki.bambulab.com · 2026-08 · doc
  12. GitHub - bambulab organisation repository list (11 repos, checked Aug 2026) github.com · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Bambu Lab Wiki - HMS_0300-0200-0001-0003: nozzle heater over-temperature (X1 series) wiki.bambulab.com · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Bambu Lab Warranty Policy bambulab.com · 2026-08 · vendor