3D Printing Info

Printer comparison

FlashForge AD5X vs QIDI X-Smart 3

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

2 selected · all documented properties

FlashForge AD5X vs QIDI X-Smart 3 — documented properties and sources
PropertyFlashForge AD5XCOREXYQIDI X-Smart 3COREXY
Identity
BrandFlashForgeQIDI
ClassCOREXYCOREXY
Identity & Market
Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first)Flashforge AD5X, sold as "AD5X - Multicolor 3D Printer for High-Speed, Full-Color Printing"[1][2]QIDI X-Smart 3, listed in QIDI navigation as X-Smart3[3][4]
Release date (announcement and actual shipping)Not documentedNot published by QIDI on the pages checked (Aug 2026)[3][4]
Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry)$399.00 sale against a $549.00 compare-at price on flashforge.com, in stock, with a further $50 off at checkout, checked Aug 2026. A refurbished AD5X is listed at $315.00[1][2]$399 on QIDI's official US page, which routes purchases to its AliExpress and Amazon stores; checked Aug 2026[4]
Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk)Shares the 220 mm Adventurer chassis with the 5M and 5M Pro but differs on the points that matter: 300 °C nozzle (vs 280 °C), 4-colour IFS unit, NO air filtration, NO auto shutdown, and a 300 mm/s print speed against a 600 mm/s travel speed. 3DJake and eolasprints both describe it as open-frame[1][5][6][7]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[3][8][9]
Physical & Frame
Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable220 x 220 x 220 mm advertised[1][5]175 x 180 x 170 mm advertised[3][4]
Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang)Not documented370 x 362 x 397 mm[3]
Net weight (kg)Not documented10.5 kg[3]
Frame construction & materialNot documentedQIDI publishes no frame-material breakdown for this model[3]
Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lidOpen frame, no enclosure and no air filtration — FlashForge's own table records "Air Filtration: No". Chamber lighting and remote monitoring are listed as expandable options rather than fitted[1][6]No heated chamber. 3DJake's table records "Heated chamber: No"; QIDI does not describe an enclosure for this model[3]
Kinematics & Motion Hardware
Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other)CoreXY[6]CoreXY[3][4]
Speed & Acceleration
Max print speed (claimed, mm/s)FlashForge publishes two separate figures: max travel speed 600 mm/s and max print speed 300 mm/s. The 300 mm/s print figure is the one that describes printing[1][5]<=500 mm/s (manufacturer claim)[3][4]
Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²)20,000 mm/s2 maximum (manufacturer claim)[1][5]20,000 mm/s2 (manufacturer claim)[4]
Max volumetric flow claimed (mm³/s)Not documented30 mm3/s extruder flow (manufacturer claim)[3][4]
Extruder
Type (direct drive / bowden) & design nameDirect drive, one extruder, fed by the 4-colour Intelligent Filament System (IFS)[1]Direct-drive extruder, single, 1.75 mm filament[3][4]
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[3][4]
Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values)300 °C claimed[1][5]<=300 °C claimed[3][4]
Stock nozzle size & sizes included in box0.4 mm default; 0.25, 0.6 and 0.8 mm optional[1][5]Not documented
Stock nozzle material (brass / hardened steel / plated copper / composite tip)Not documentedBrass[3]
Heated Bed & Surface
Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit110 °C claimed[1][5]<=120 °C claimed[3][4]
Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sidedPEI flexible spring-steel sheet[1][5]Double-sided flexible magnetic RF plate[3]
Leveling & Z-Offset
Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe)Automatic levelling; probe technology not named[1][5]16-point automatic bed levelling per QIDI's US page; probe technology not named[4]
Mesh grid size (probe point count — firmware evidence)Not documented16 points (QIDI's US page). Not verified against firmware[4]
Filament Handling & Detection
Filament runout sensor (type, location)Filament detection fitted; type and location not published[1][5]Filament detection fitted; type and location not published[3]
Multi-material/multi-color capability or official upgrade pathFour-colour printing via the integrated Intelligent Filament System (IFS), which handles filament switching[1]Not documented
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[3]
Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto)Not documented100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz[3]
Total rated power drawNot documented350 W rated[3]
Firmware & Openness
Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary)Not named by FlashForge; the supported slicers are Orca-Flashforge and OrcaSlicer[1]Klipper[4]
Connectivity, UI & Camera
Display: size, type, touch?Not documented4.3-inch touchscreen[4]
WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-driveUSB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi[1][5]Wi-Fi and USB. No Ethernet listed for this model[3][4]
Power-Loss & Interruption Recovery
Power-loss recovery: mechanism (how is state saved? capacitor / eeprom / file on shutdown?)Power-outage recovery supported; mechanism not published[1][5]Not documented
Materials Support
Officially supported filament listPETG, PLA, TPU95A, TPU64D-75D, PLA-CF, PETG-CF[1][5]Not documented
Reliability, Support & Ecosystem
Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes)Not documented1-year coverage (QIDI standard store terms)[10]

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. Flashforge AD5X multicolour 3D printer product page flashforge.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  2. Flashforge store product feed (live prices and stock) flashforge.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. QIDI Tech X-Smart 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. QIDI X-Smart 3 official US page qidiusa.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. FlashForge AD5X technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Flashforge printer buyer's guide, 5M to Creator 5 eolasprints.com · 2026-08 · review
  7. Flashforge Adventurer 5M Pro product page flashforge.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. QIDI Tech X-Plus 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. QIDI Tech X-Max 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. QIDI Max4 product page (US store) us.qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor