3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
ELEGOO Saturn 4 Ultra 16K vs FlashForge Guider 3 Ultra
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ELEGOO Saturn 4 Ultra 16K comparisonsMore FlashForge Guider 3 Ultra comparisons
| Property | ELEGOO Saturn 4 Ultra 16KRESIN | FlashForge Guider 3 UltraINDUSTRIAL |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | ELEGOO | FlashForge |
| Class | RESIN | INDUSTRIAL |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K. Elegoo's product handle is saturn-4-ultra-16k-10inch-monochrome-lcd-resin-3d-printer. 3DJake item number ELG-50.101.038300[1][2] | Flashforge Guider 3 Ultra; the FlashForge spec table gives the machine name as "Guider 3 Ultra"[3] |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | $649.99 in us.elegoo.com's live Shopify product JSON, in stock, with compare_at_price also $649.99 — no discount active at the time of checking (Aug 2026)[2] | $2,399.00 against a $3,499.00 regular price on flashforge.com, but the listing checked is the refurbished SKU and is marked Sold out (Aug 2026)[3] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | Distinct from the earlier Saturn 4 Ultra (12K); the 16K carries a 15120 x 6230 masking LCD with 14 x 19 um pixels. Elegoo also sells it bundled with a Mercury Plus V2.0 wash/cure station and as a pre-owned SKU, neither of which is the printer-only price[1][2] | Top of the Guider 3 series. Build size depends on which head is used: 330 x 330 x 600 mm with one extruder, 300 x 330 x 600 mm with both. Siblings Guider 3 (300x250x340) and Guider 3 Plus (350x350x600) are both single-extruder. A refurbished SKU exists alongside the new machine, so check which one a price refers to[3][4][5] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 211.68 x 118.37 x 220 mm[1] | 330 x 330 x 600 mm with a single extruder; 300 x 330 x 600 mm when both extruders are in use[3] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 327.4 x 329.2 x 548 mm[1] | 635 x 550 x 1070 mm; packaging 775 x 690 x 1235 mm[3] |
| Net weight (kg) | Not documented | 70 kg net, 86 kg gross[3] |
| Frame construction & material | Metal housing with a flip-up cover and a drip guard[1] | Enclosed professional chassis; FlashForge describes a lightweight, stable structure for high-speed operation[3] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Flip-up lid (Elegoo's own naming) over an open frame; UV-blocking cover[1] | Closed design with an air filter fitted[3] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | MSLA with tilt-release: the vat tilts to peel each layer rather than pulling straight up. Elegoo claims the mechanism cuts curing time by 25%. Single Z axis, Z precision 0.02 mm[1] | CoreXY with two extruders, per a third-party buyer's guide. FlashForge's own spec table does not state the kinematics[6][3] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | Not documented | 10-500 mm/s printing speed, 500 mm/s maximum travel speed (manufacturer figures)[3] |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | Not documented | 20,000 mm/s2 maximum (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Vibration Compensation / Input Shaping | ||
| Input shaping supported? Implementation (Klipper IS / Marlin ZV / proprietary) | Not documented | Active vibration compensation, which FlashForge says was enhanced for this model. Implementation not named[3] |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Not documented | Two extruders[3] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | Not documented | 350 °C maximum extruder temperature (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Stock nozzle size & sizes included in box | Not documented | 0.4 mm default; 0.6 and 0.8 mm optional[3] |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | Not documented | 120 °C bed setting supported (manufacturer figure)[3] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Not documented | Replaceable flexible steel-plate platform, magnetic. No glass bed[3] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Automatic levelling, plus intelligent mechanical sensor alarms[1] | Full-auto one-click levelling; probe technology not named[3] |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Filament runout sensor (type, location) | Not documented | Filament run-out reminder[3] |
| Cooling & Air Handling | ||
| Chamber/exhaust fan & filtration (activated carbon / HEPA) | Not documented | Air filter fitted; filter media not specified in the FlashForge table[3] |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto) | 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz, 24 V 6 A[1] | AC 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz[3] |
| Total rated power draw | Not documented | 850 W maximum[3] |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Elegoo EL3D-4.0 system. Slicer is CHITUBOX[1] | Not named; slicers are Orca-Flashforge and FlashPrint 5, with OrcaSlicer listed as compatible[3] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 4-inch capacitive touchscreen (control panel — not the masking LCD, see W1)[1] | 7-inch touch LCD[3] |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | USB and Wi-Fi, with WLAN file transfer[1] | USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, plus cloud[3] |
| Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps) | AI camera, 1920 x 1080[1] | Remote camera monitoring and time-lapse video supported; resolution not published[3] |
| Camera features: live monitor, timelapse, AI failure detection (spaghetti detection) — how real is it? | AI camera with print-failure detection[1] | Not documented |
| Power-Loss & Interruption Recovery | ||
| Power-loss recovery: mechanism (how is state saved? capacitor / eeprom / file on shutdown?) | Not documented | Power-loss recovery supported; mechanism not published. Automatic shutdown also supported[3] |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | 405 nm photopolymer resin; the heated tank is aimed at high-viscosity and high-speed resins. No closed compatibility list published[1] | PLA, ABS, HIPS, ASA, PETG, CoPA, PLA-CF, PETG-CF, PAHT-CF, PAHT-GF, PET-CF, PET-GF, PA12-CF, PA-CF, PA-GF, NexPA-CF25[3] |
| Safety | ||
| Certifications (UL/ETL/CE/FCC — verify, don't assume) | Not documented | CE, FCC, RoHS (as printed in FlashForge's own spec table)[3] |
| Resin & MSLA | ||
| Masking LCD | 10-inch 16K monochrome masking LCD, 15120 x 6230 px, XY pixel pitch 14 x 19 um (manufacturer specification)[1][2] | Not documented |
| Light source | COB light source with a Fresnel collimating lens[1] | Not documented |
| Light uniformity & intensity | Light energy at the plate quoted as 5 mW/cm2, i.e. 5000 uW/cm2 (manufacturer claim, attributed to the tilt-release and Fresnel optics). No uniformity percentage published and no independent measurement[1] | Not documented |
| Vertical print speedmm/h | Up to 150 mm/h (manufacturer claim). Elegoo does not state the layer height or resin type the figure assumes[1] | Not documented |
| Release film | PFA release film. No rated life published[1] | Not documented |
| LCD life & replaceability | Masking LCD shielded by tempered 9H protective glass. Elegoo publishes no rated screen life in hours and does not state user replaceability[1] | Not documented |
| Resin vat & feeding | Replaceable resin vat with a dual pour spout and a drip guard. Heated tank with automatic temperature measurement: Elegoo states resin reaches 25 C in 26 minutes from a 5 C ambient at 50% humidity (manufacturer figure). Capacity not published; no auto-refill[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
- Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K product page (technical data and description) 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K live Shopify product JSON us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Flashforge Guider 3 Ultra product page (refurbished listing) flashforge.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- FlashForge Guider 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- FlashForge Guider 3 Plus technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Flashforge printer buyer's guide, 5M to Creator 5 eolasprints.com · 2026-08 · review