3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
ELEGOO Saturn 4 Ultra 16K vs QIDI i-Fast
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 QIDI i-Fast comparisons
| Property | ELEGOO Saturn 4 Ultra 16KRESIN | QIDI i-FastIDEX |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | ELEGOO | QIDI |
| Class | RESIN | IDEX |
| 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] | QIDI Tech i-Fast, also written iFast and "I-Fast"[3][4] |
| Release date (announcement and actual shipping) | Not documented | Not published on the listings checked (Aug 2026)[3][4] |
| 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] | $1,899.00 at Top 3D Shop, listed as discontinued with a 5-10 business-day lead time, checked Aug 2026. 3DJake no longer sells it[4][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] | Ships with two interchangeable dual-extruder assemblies — a standard dual head and a high-temperature dual head rated to 350 °C. Specifications quoted for one head do not apply to the other. Not to be confused with QIDI's i-Mate or the X-CF Pro[4][3] |
| Market position: superseded? successor announced? | Not documented | Discontinued; QIDI's current line is the Q, Plus and Max series[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 250 x 320 mm advertised[3][4] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 327.4 x 329.2 x 548 mm[1] | 710 x 510 x 670 mm[4] |
| Net weight (kg) | Not documented | 33 kg net[4] |
| Frame construction & material | Metal housing with a flip-up cover and a drip guard[1] | Fully assembled enclosed metal-frame machine[3] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Flip-up lid (Elegoo's own naming) over an open frame; UV-blocking cover[1] | Fully enclosed with a heated chamber[3][4] |
| 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] | Dual independent extruders in an enclosed Cartesian gantry[3][4] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | Not documented | 30-150 mm/s print speed range (manufacturer figure — a working range, not a peak marketing number)[4] |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Not documented | Direct-drive, two extruders. MK10-style nozzle[3][4] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | Not documented | 350 °C on the high-temperature extruder assembly[3][4] |
| Stock nozzle size & sizes included in box | Not documented | 0.4 mm nozzle diameter[4] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Automatic levelling, plus intelligent mechanical sensor alarms[1] | Not documented |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto) | 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz, 24 V 6 A[1] | 110-220 V[4] |
| Total rated power draw | Not documented | 700 W rated[4] |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Elegoo EL3D-4.0 system. Slicer is CHITUBOX[1] | Not documented |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 4-inch capacitive touchscreen (control panel — not the masking LCD, see W1)[1] | Not documented |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | USB and Wi-Fi, with WLAN file transfer[1] | Wi-Fi, LAN, USB flash drive[3][4] |
| Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps) | AI camera, 1920 x 1080[1] | Not documented |
| Camera features: live monitor, timelapse, AI failure detection (spaghetti detection) — how real is it? | AI camera with print-failure detection[1] | Not documented |
| 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] | Carbon fibre, nylon, PETG, TPU, PC, ABS, PLA[4] |
| 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
- QIDI Tech i-Fast technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Tech i-Fast Dual Extruder FDM 3D Printer listing top3dshop.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI US store full product collection us.qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor