Printer comparison
Positron V3.2 vs QIDI X-Smart 3
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore Positron V3.2 comparisonsMore QIDI X-Smart 3 comparisons
| Property | Positron V3.2COREXY | QIDI X-Smart 3COREXY |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | Positron3D | QIDI |
| Class | COREXY | COREXY |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | LDO Positron v3.2 3D Printer Kit, revision v3.2 Rev A[1] | QIDI X-Smart 3, listed in QIDI navigation as X-Smart3[2][3] |
| Release date (announcement and actual shipping) | Not documented | Not published by QIDI on the pages checked (Aug 2026)[2][3] |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | Not documented | $399 on QIDI's official US page, which routes purchases to its AliExpress and Amazon stores; checked Aug 2026[3] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | The defining trait is the inverted geometry: the print head is below the bed and the machine prints upside down. Sold as a self-assembly kit; the complete printed-parts set is a separate purchase. A hard storage case is included[1] | 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[2][4][5] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 180 x 180 x 165 mm[1] | 175 x 180 x 170 mm advertised[2][3] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 200 x 200 x 70 mm folded, 200 x 200 x 270 mm unfolded[1] | 370 x 362 x 397 mm[2] |
| Net weight (kg) | 3 kg net; 5.5 kg with the hard case[1] | 10.5 kg[2] |
| Frame construction & material | Folding frame designed to fit in a filament box; supplied with a black hard case[1] | QIDI publishes no frame-material breakdown for this model[2] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Open frame[1] | No heated chamber. 3DJake's table records "Heated chamber: No"; QIDI does not describe an enclosure for this model[2] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | CoreXY, inverted — the machine prints upside down[1] | CoreXY[2][3] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | 250 mm/s maximum print speed (manufacturer claim)[1] | <=500 mm/s (manufacturer claim)[2][3] |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | 8,000 mm/s2 (manufacturer claim)[1] | 20,000 mm/s2 (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Max volumetric flow claimed (mm³/s) | Not documented | 30 mm3/s extruder flow (manufacturer claim)[2][3] |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Bowden-style, single extrusion[1] | Direct-drive extruder, single, 1.75 mm filament[2][3] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?) | PS plated-copper nozzle, 0.4 mm[1] | Brass nozzle head. 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) | 260 °C maximum (manufacturer claim)[1] | <=300 °C claimed[2][3] |
| Stock nozzle material (brass / hardened steel / plated copper / composite tip) | Plated copper[1] | Brass[2] |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | 85 °C maximum bed temperature — the lowest in this group, and the reason the material list stops at PETG[1] | <=120 °C claimed[2][3] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Heated removable ITO glass bed[1] | Double-sided flexible magnetic RF plate[2] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Not documented | 16-point automatic bed levelling per QIDI's US page; probe technology not named[3] |
| Mesh grid size (probe point count — firmware evidence) | Not documented | 16 points (QIDI's US page). Not verified against firmware[3] |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Filament runout sensor (type, location) | Not documented | Filament detection fitted; type and location not published[2] |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Mainboard model & MCU (exact chip markings if teardowns exist) | LDO Positron mainboard[1] | Not documented |
| 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] |
| PSU (brand, wattage, rail voltage) | DC 24 V, 200 W[1] | Not documented |
| Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto) | Not documented | 100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz[2] |
| Total rated power draw | Not documented | 350 W rated[2] |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Klipper[1] | Klipper[3] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen[1] | 4.3-inch touchscreen[3] |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet[1] | Wi-Fi and USB. No Ethernet listed for this model[2][3] |
| Calibration Routines & QoL | ||
| Assembly level & time from unbox to first print | Self-assembly kit, manufactured in China[1] | Not documented |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | PLA and PETG only, per the manufacturer[1] | Not documented |
| Reliability, Support & Ecosystem | ||
| Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes) | Not documented | 1-year coverage (QIDI standard store terms)[6] |
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
- LDO Positron v3.2 3D Printer Kit matterhackers.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Tech X-Smart 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI X-Smart 3 official US page qidiusa.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Tech X-Plus 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Tech X-Max 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Max4 product page (US store) us.qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor