3D Printing Info

Printer comparison

ELEGOO Mars 5 Ultra vs QIDI X-Smart 3

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

2 selected · all documented properties

ELEGOO Mars 5 Ultra vs QIDI X-Smart 3 — documented properties and sources
PropertyELEGOO Mars 5 UltraRESINQIDI X-Smart 3COREXY
Identity
BrandELEGOOQIDI
ClassRESINCOREXY
Identity & Market
Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first)ELEGOO Mars 5 Ultra. Elegoo's product handle is mars-5-ultra-9k-7inch-monochrome-lcd-resin-3d-printer[1][2][3]QIDI X-Smart 3, listed in QIDI navigation as X-Smart3[4][5]
Release date (announcement and actual shipping)Not documentedNot published by QIDI on the pages checked (Aug 2026)[4][5]
Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry)$269.00 in Elegoo's live US product feed, in stock, checked Aug 2026. The Mars 5 Series collection page rendered $259.00 against a $338.00 compare-at price on the same day, so the two Elegoo surfaces disagree by $10[3][2]$399 on QIDI's official US page, which routes purchases to its AliExpress and Amazon stores; checked Aug 2026[5]
Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk)Not a trim of the Mars 5 — a different imaging stack and a different release mechanism: 7-inch 9K LCD and 18 um pixels vs 6.6-inch 4K and 35 um, 150 vs 70 mm/h, tilt-release vs straight lift, an AI camera, and Wi-Fi added. Seven bundle SKUs pair it with Mercury Plus V2.0/V3.0 or Mercury XS at $363-$432[6][1][2][3]Entry model of the 3-series. Unlike the X-Plus 3 and X-Max 3 it has no heated chamber, a 300 °C rather than 350 °C hotend, a brass rather than copper-alloy/hardened-steel nozzle head, and no Ethernet. It shares the Cortex-A53 board with them, so control-board specs must not be read as shared print specs[4][7][8]
Physical & Frame
Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable153.36 x 77.76 x 165 mm[1]175 x 180 x 170 mm advertised[4][5]
Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang)260 x 268 x 451.5 mm[1]370 x 362 x 397 mm[4]
Net weight (kg)Approximately 8.8 kg[1]10.5 kg[4]
Frame construction & materialNot documentedQIDI publishes no frame-material breakdown for this model[4]
Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lidOpen-frame MSLA with a removable UV-blocking cover[1]No heated chamber. 3DJake's table records "Heated chamber: No"; QIDI does not describe an enclosure for this model[4]
Kinematics & Motion Hardware
Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other)MSLA with tilt-release: the resin tank tilts after each layer to peel the part rather than pulling straight up. Single Z axis[1]CoreXY[4][5]
Speed & Acceleration
Max print speed (claimed, mm/s)Not documented<=500 mm/s (manufacturer claim)[4][5]
Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²)Not documented20,000 mm/s2 (manufacturer claim)[5]
Max volumetric flow claimed (mm³/s)Not documented30 mm3/s extruder flow (manufacturer claim)[4][5]
Extruder
Type (direct drive / bowden) & design nameNot documentedDirect-drive extruder, single, 1.75 mm filament[4][5]
Hotend & Nozzle
Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?)Not documentedBrass nozzle head. 0.4 mm stock, 0.2/0.6/0.8 mm optional[4][5]
Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values)Not documented<=300 °C claimed[4][5]
Stock nozzle material (brass / hardened steel / plated copper / composite tip)Not documentedBrass[4]
Heated Bed & Surface
Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limitNot documented<=120 °C claimed[4][5]
Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sidedNot documentedDouble-sided flexible magnetic RF plate[4]
Leveling & Z-Offset
Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe)Automatic levelling, one click, via an intelligent mechanical sensor. One-Click Self-Check routine. Alarms for resin shortage, residue detection and levelling failure[1]16-point automatic bed levelling per QIDI's US page; probe technology not named[5]
Mesh grid size (probe point count — firmware evidence)Not documented16 points (QIDI's US page). Not verified against firmware[5]
Filament Handling & Detection
Filament runout sensor (type, location)Not documentedFilament detection fitted; type and location not published[4]
Electronics & Power
Host computer (SoC, RAM, storage) if firmware runs on embedded LinuxNot documentedCortex-A53 64-bit at 1.5 GHz, 1 GB DDR3, 8 GB eMMC[4]
Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto)100-240 V, 50/60 Hz, 24 V 3 A[1]100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz[4]
Total rated power drawNot documented350 W rated[4]
Firmware & Openness
Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary)Not named by Elegoo. Supported slicer is CHITUBOX[1]Klipper[5]
Connectivity, UI & Camera
Display: size, type, touch?4.0-inch capacitive touchscreen (control panel — not the masking LCD, see W1)[1]4.3-inch touchscreen[5]
WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-driveUSB and Wi-Fi[1]Wi-Fi and USB. No Ethernet listed for this model[4][5]
Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps)AI camera fitted; Elegoo does not publish its resolution for this model[1]Not documented
Camera features: live monitor, timelapse, AI failure detection (spaghetti detection) — how real is it?AI camera detects empty build plates and print errors[1]Not documented
Materials Support
Officially supported filament list405 nm photopolymer resin. No compatibility list published on this listing[1]Not documented
Safety
Firmware safety limits (max temp cutoffs — exact values)Overheating protection activates above 80 °C[1]Not documented
Reliability, Support & Ecosystem
Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes)Not documented1-year coverage (QIDI standard store terms)[9]
Resin & MSLA
Masking LCD7-inch 9K monochrome masking LCD, 8520 x 4320 px, XY pixel pitch 18 x 18 um (manufacturer specification)[1][3]Not documented
Light source25-LED COB light source emitting a 405 nm UV beam (manufacturer specification)[1]Not documented
Light uniformity & intensity92% light uniformity claimed by Elegoo. No intensity figure published, and no independent measurement[1]Not documented
Vertical print speedmm/h150 mm/h maximum, which Elegoo attributes to the tilt-release mechanism (manufacturer claim). Elegoo also offers switchable slow and fast print modes but does not state the layer height the figure assumes[1]Not documented
Layer exposure times1.5-3 s layer cure time (manufacturer figure; layer height not stated). Sortable value is the midpoint[1]Not documented
LCD life & replaceabilityMasking LCD protected by a scratch-resistant tempered 9H glass cover that also guards against resin leakage. Elegoo publishes no rated screen life in hours and does not state whether the user can replace the LCD[1]Not documented
Resin vat & feedingResin tank supplied with the machine; resin-shortage and residue-detection alarms fitted. Capacity not published; no auto-refill[1]Not documented

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. Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra product page (technical data and description) 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  2. ELEGOO Mars 5 Series collection (live US prices) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. ELEGOO Mars 5 Series live product feed us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. QIDI Tech X-Smart 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. QIDI X-Smart 3 official US page qidiusa.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Elegoo Mars 5 product page (technical data and description) 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. QIDI Tech X-Plus 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. QIDI Tech X-Max 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. QIDI Max4 product page (US store) us.qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor