3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
FlashForge Creator 4 vs QIDI X-Max 3
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore FlashForge Creator 4 comparisonsMore QIDI X-Max 3 comparisons
| Property | FlashForge Creator 4IDEX | QIDI X-Max 3COREXY |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | FlashForge | QIDI |
| Class | IDEX | COREXY |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | Flashforge Creator 4, sold in A and S configurations (Creator 4A, Creator 4S)[1] | QIDI X-Max 3, listed by QIDI as "Qidi Tech X-Max 3 3D Printer" and in navigation as X-Max3[2][3] |
| Release date (announcement and actual shipping) | Not documented | Not published by QIDI; the product page carries a discontinuation notice rather than a launch date (checked Aug 2026)[2] |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | $10,999.00 at Top 3D Shop with a 2-3 week lead time, checked Aug 2026[1] | $899.00 (from a $999.00 sale reference) on us.qidi3d.com but marked Sold Out and discontinued, checked Aug 2026. 3D Printers Online Store lists $1,099 USD, also out of stock[2][4] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | Two factory configurations that share the chassis but not the temperature ceiling: Creator 4A ships 2 x HT extruders (320 °C max, no composite support), Creator 4S ships 1 x HT + 1 x HS (360 °C max, supports PA-CF, PA-GF, PP-CF, PPS-CF). A third extruder type, F, is rated 265 °C and intended for flexibles. Any published "360 °C" figure applies only to the HS head[1] | Same-generation siblings X-Plus 3 (280x280x270, 500 mm/s, 800 W) and X-Smart 3 (175x180x170, no chamber heating, 300 °C, 350 W). All three share the Cortex-A53 1.5 GHz / 1 GB DDR3 / 8 GB eMMC control board, so shared-board specs are not evidence of shared print specs. Replaced by the Max4[3][5][6][7] |
| Market position: superseded? successor announced? | Not documented | Discontinued and out of production; QIDI directs buyers to the Max4[2] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 400 x 350 x 500 mm[1] | 325 x 325 x 315 mm advertised[2][3][4] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 840 x 675 x 1000 mm (1050 mm on the stand). FlashForge specifies an installation space of at least 1400 x 1500 x 1600 mm[1] | 553 x 553 x 601 mm[3][4] |
| Net weight (kg) | 90 kg net[1] | 30.2 kg net[3][4] |
| Frame construction & material | Fully enclosed professional chassis on a stand[1] | Enclosed CoreXY chassis, fully assembled from the factory. QIDI does not publish a frame-material breakdown[3] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Fully enclosed with HEPA 13 filtration and an actively controlled chamber[1] | Fully enclosed, with a chamber circulation blower and activated-carbon air filter[3] |
| Passive chamber temperature reached (if enclosed; measured values preferred) | Up to 65 °C, actively controlled (manufacturer claim)[1] | 65 °C maximum, independent chamber heating (manufacturer claim)[2][3] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | IDEX — two independently driven extruders on the same gantry[1] | CoreXY[3] |
| X-axis guide type (rods / linear rails / V-wheels; size) | Not documented | Linear optical axis (polished steel rod) of high-strength steel[3] |
| Z-axis: leadscrew count & type, sync mechanism, anti-backlash | Not documented | Double Z axis[3] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | 10-200 mm/s, adjustable per material. On the 4S the HS head is quoted 100-150 mm/s and the HT head 100-200 mm/s (manufacturer figures)[1] | <=600 mm/s (manufacturer claim)[2][3][4] |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | Not documented | 20,000 mm/s2 (manufacturer claim)[2] |
| Max volumetric flow claimed (mm³/s) | Not documented | 35 mm3/s extruder flow (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Direct drive, two independent extruders, interchangeable modules (F / HT / HS)[1] | High-flow direct-drive extruder; QIDI states a 9.5:1 gear ratio for this model[2][3] |
| Gear ratio & drive gear material | Not documented | 9.5:1[2] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?) | Not documented | Ceramic heating core. Two interchangeable nozzle-head sets shipped: copper alloy for standard materials, hardened steel for abrasives. 0.4 mm stock, 0.2/0.6/0.8 mm optional[2][3] |
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | Depends on the fitted extruder module: F 265 °C, HT 320 °C, HS 360 °C[1] | <=350 °C claimed[2][3][4] |
| Stock nozzle size & sizes included in box | 0.4 mm default; 0.6 and 0.8 mm optional[1] | Not documented |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | 130 °C maximum (manufacturer claim)[1] | <=120 °C claimed[3][4] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Not documented | Double-sided flexible magnetic plate (QIDI's "HF" plate)[2][3] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Automatic bed levelling; FlashForge does not name the probe technology in this spec table[1] | Automatic levelling via Klipper adaptive meshing; probe technology not named by QIDI[2] |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Filament runout sensor (type, location) | Not documented | Filament detection fitted; type and location not published[3] |
| Spool holder location & max spool size; drybox compatibility | Two spool bays, 1 kg and 2 kg capacity[1] | Not documented |
| Cooling & Air Handling | ||
| Auxiliary part-cooling fan? | Not documented | Additional (auxiliary) cooling fan fitted[3] |
| Chamber/exhaust fan & filtration (activated carbon / HEPA) | Not documented | Chamber circulation blower with activated-carbon air filter[3] |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Host computer (SoC, RAM, storage) if firmware runs on embedded Linux | Not documented | Cortex-A53 64-bit at 1.5 GHz, 1 GB DDR3, 8 GB eMMC[2][3] |
| Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto) | AC 100-130 V / 200-240 V, 50-60 Hz, 30 A overcurrent protection[1] | 100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz[3] |
| Total rated power draw | 2320 W rated[1] | 900 W rated[3][4] |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Not named; the supported slicer is FlashPrint[1] | Klipper with the Fluidd web console. Fork and version not published[2] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 7-inch touchscreen, 1024 x 600[1] | 5-inch touchscreen, 800 x 480[3] |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | USB flash drive, Ethernet, Wi-Fi[1] | Wi-Fi (QIDI states 150M 2.4G), Ethernet, USB flash drive[3] |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | Standard and engineering plastics on the HT head; the HS head adds PA-CF, PA-GF, PP-CF and PPS-CF. Materials such as PC, PA and carbon fibre are the stated targets for the 130 °C bed[1] | ABS, PLA, PETG, TPU, nylon, carbon fibre, PC[4] |
| Reliability, Support & Ecosystem | ||
| Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes) | 12 months on the printer, 3 months on extruder parts[1] | 1-year coverage[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
- Flashforge Creator 4 (A/S) product listing with full spec table top3dshop.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI X-Max 3 product page (US store) us.qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Tech X-Max 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Qidi Tech X-Max 3 FDM 3D Printer listing 3dprintersonlinestore.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Tech X-Plus 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Tech X-Smart 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Max4 product page (US store) us.qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor