Printer comparison
ELEGOO Centauri Carbon vs QIDI Max4
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ELEGOO Centauri Carbon comparisonsMore QIDI Max4 comparisons
| Property | ELEGOO Centauri CarbonCOREXY | QIDI Max4COREXY |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | ELEGOO | QIDI |
| Class | COREXY | COREXY |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | ELEGOO Centauri Carbon[1] | QIDI Max4, sold as "Max4 High-Temp 3D Printer"[2][3] |
| Release date (announcement and actual shipping) | Listed on the ELEGOO US store from 17 February 2025 (Shopify publish date)[4] | Not published on QIDI's product page; the machine is listed as the current replacement for the discontinued X-Max 3 (checked Aug 2026)[2][5] |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | $419.99 on us.elegoo.com, Aug 2026, with the compare-at price also $419.99 (no discount running)[4] | $1,099.00 standard on us.qidi3d.com against a $1,149.00 compare-at price, checked Aug 2026. Variants: Polar Cooler bundle $1,249.00 (was $1,348.00), Max4 Combo $1,249.00 (was $1,299.00), Combo + Polar Cooler $1,399.00[2] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | Superseded by the Centauri Carbon 2, which raises the nozzle ceiling to 350 C and swaps the nano mineral crystal filter for a HEPA plus coconut-shell carbon stack, adds clog detection, a smart exhaust grille and part-cooling-fan drop detection. The non-carbon Centauri and Centauri 2 are open-frame-oriented machines with a different filament list. Machine size 398 x 404 x 490 mm is shared with the Centauri 2, so body dimensions alone will not identify the model[6][7][1] | Four variants at the US store: Standard, Polar Cooler bundle, Combo (adds QIDI Box), Combo + Polar Cooler. Direct replacement for the X-Max 3, which it differs from on every headline figure: 390x390x340 vs 325x325x315, 800 vs 600 mm/s, 370 vs 350 °C. Do not carry X-Max 3 specs across[2][5] |
| Market position: superseded? successor announced? | Superseded within ELEGOO's own line-up: the US store's Centauri section in Aug 2026 lists the Centauri Carbon 2 Combo, Centauri 2 Combo, Centauri Carbon 2 and an emoji collaboration edition[8] | Current large-format flagship as of Aug 2026; QIDI's X-Max 3 page directs buyers here[2][5] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 256 x 256 x 256 mm; printing platform 260 x 260 mm[1] | 390 x 390 x 340 mm advertised[2][3] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 398 x 404 x 490 mm[1] | 558 x 578 x 612 mm[3] |
| Net weight (kg) | 17.5 kg net, 21 kg gross[1] | 46.5 kg net[3] |
| Frame construction & material | Integrated die-cast aluminium construction, which ELEGOO credits for reduced vibration at speed[1] | Enclosed CoreXY chassis; QIDI does not publish a frame-material breakdown[2] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Fully enclosed with a tempered glass door and top cover; a nano mineral crystal air filter, an auxiliary part-cooling fan and a chamber temperature regulator fan are fitted[1] | Fully enclosed with a 3-in-1 air filter (G3 pre-filter + H12 HEPA + coconut-shell activated carbon)[3] |
| Passive chamber temperature reached (if enclosed; measured values preferred) | Not documented | 65 °C, independent active chamber heating (manufacturer claim), with a 4-pin PWM chamber fan with RPM feedback[3] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | CoreXY[1] | CoreXY[3] |
| Z-axis: leadscrew count & type, sync mechanism, anti-backlash | Three lead screws with three linear guide rods[1] | 2 mm lead Z screw with an anti-backlash nut[2] |
| Belts (type, width, e.g. Gates?) | Semi-automatic belt tensioner[1] | Not documented |
| Stepper motors (frame size, step angle, brand if known) | Not documented | FOC closed-loop stepper motors[3] |
| Stepper drivers (exact model e.g. TMC2209; UART/SPI; sensorless homing?) | "Silent Drive (All Axes)" is all that is published; no driver part number is given[1] | Not documented |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | 500 mm/s or less, with 250 mm/s given by ELEGOO as the recommended speed[1] | 800 mm/s (manufacturer claim, maximum)[3] |
| Recommended/typical print speed | 250 mm/s recommended printing speed (manufacturer figure)[1] | Not documented |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | 20000 mm/s2 maximum acceleration; default acceleration 10000 mm/s2[1] | 30,000 mm/s2 (manufacturer claim, maximum)[3] |
| Max volumetric flow claimed (mm³/s) | 32 mm3/s claimed flow rate (manufacturer figure; no test conditions published)[1] | 40 mm3/s rated flow (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Vibration Compensation / Input Shaping | ||
| Input shaping supported? Implementation (Klipper IS / Marlin ZV / proprietary) | Not documented | Input shaper listed as a feature[3] |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Dual-gear direct extruder with one fan[1] | Direct drive, dual hardened-steel gears, 8.9:1 reduction[3] |
| Gear ratio & drive gear material | Not documented | 8.9:1; drive gears hardened steel[3] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?) | Brass-hardened steel nozzle, 0.4 mm, with a titanium-alloy heat break; a heatbed nozzle wiper cleans it before each print[1] | Multi-metal hotend with a ceramic heater and a 0.4 mm bimetal nozzle; ceramic throat[3] |
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | 320 C claimed max nozzle temperature (the Centauri Carbon 2 raises this to 350 C)[1][6] | <=370 °C claimed[2][3] |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | 110 C max heated bed temperature at 25 C ambient[1] | <=120 °C claimed on a 390 x 390 mm bed QIDI markets as ultra-uniform (no thermal imaging published)[2][3] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Dual-sided spring steel sheet - textured PEI on one face, a PLA-specific surface on the other[1] | Aluminium plate with silicone heater; double-sided magnetic PEI build plate[3] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | 121-point auto-levelling with full-auto calibration[1] | Automatic levelling; probe technology not named by QIDI[3] |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Filament runout sensor (type, location) | Filament run-out sensor, auto filament unloading, power-loss recovery and fan self-check; no clog detection on this model (the Centauri Carbon 2 adds it)[1][6] | Filament run-out sensor and filament tangle detection (tangle mechanism not described), plus a filament cutter[3] |
| Multi-material/multi-color capability or official upgrade path | Not documented | QIDI Box multi-colour unit supported; sold bundled as the Max4 Combo[2][3] |
| Cooling & Air Handling | ||
| Part-cooling fan(s): count, size, ducting design | Part cooling plus an auxiliary part-cooling fan and a chamber temperature regulator fan, with real-time fan self-checks[1] | Toolhead, model and auxiliary fans are all 4-pin PWM with RPM feedback; mainboard and chamber fans are closed-loop, chamber fan high-power turbo[3] |
| Chamber/exhaust fan & filtration (activated carbon / HEPA) | Not documented | 3-in-1 filtration: G3 pre-filter, H12 HEPA, coconut-shell activated carbon[3] |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Mainboard model & MCU (exact chip markings if teardowns exist) | ELEGOO describes it only as a "Powerful Self-Developed Motherboard"; no board model or MCU is published[1] | Not documented |
| Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto) | Not documented | 110 V / 220-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz[3] |
| Total rated power draw | 1100 W at 220 V, 350 W at 110 V rated; 24 V output; 100-240 VAC input[1] | Not documented |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | ELEGOO OS with OTA updates; 8 GB of on-board storage. ElegooSlicer recommended, with Orca and Cura supported[1] | Not stated on the product page; QIDI Studio, PrusaSlicer and Orca are the supported slicers[3] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 4.3-inch colour capacitive touch screen[1] | 5-inch touchscreen, 480 x 800[3] |
| On-device UI capabilities (model preview, per-object controls, etc.) | Colour touch UI; LED chamber lighting fitted; OTA firmware updates[1] | Not documented |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | USB and dual-band Wi-Fi for LAN transfers[1] | Wi-Fi, LAN, USB[3] |
| Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps) | Chamber camera fitted, with real-time monitoring and time-lapse; dual built-in LED strips[1] | AI camera with print-failure detection[2][3] |
| Power-Loss & Interruption Recovery | ||
| Power-loss recovery: mechanism (how is state saved? capacitor / eeprom / file on shutdown?) | Not documented | Power-loss recovery listed; mechanism not published[3] |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | Carbon/glass fibre reinforced filaments, PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, PET, PC, PA[1] | PLA, ABS, ASA, PETG, TPU, PA, PC, and glass- and carbon-fibre-filled polymers[3] |
| Noise & Power Consumption | ||
| Noise: claimed dB and independently measured dB (distance/method) | Operating sound published as 55 dB or less - a manufacturer figure with no distance or method stated, so not comparable with an independently measured dB reading[1] | Not documented |
| Reliability, Support & Ecosystem | ||
| Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes) | 12 months on brand-new machines and parts, but ELEGOO's own table excludes a long list of parts from that: PEI plate / build plate / nozzle kit / PTFE tube / heater / thermistor / hot end / packaging / manual / tools carry no warranty at all, and the extruder, extruder kit and printhead kit get 6 months. Certified pre-owned machines carry no warranty[9] | 1-year coverage, lifetime tech guidance, 14-day no-reason return[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
- ELEGOO Centauri Carbon product page (full specification table) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Max4 product page (US store) us.qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Tech Max4 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- ELEGOO Centauri Carbon Shopify product JSON (price and store publish date) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI X-Max 3 product page (US store) us.qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- ELEGOO Centauri Carbon 2 product page (Centauri Carbon 2 vs Centauri Carbon side-by-side table) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- ELEGOO Centauri 2 product page (Centauri 2 Combo vs Centauri 2 side-by-side specification table) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- ELEGOO US store 3D printers collection (current line-up, Aug 2026) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- ELEGOO Refund & Warranty policy (warranty period table) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor