3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
QIDI X-Smart 3 vs Rat Rig V-Core 4
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore QIDI X-Smart 3 comparisonsMore Rat Rig V-Core 4 comparisons
| Property | QIDI X-Smart 3COREXY | Rat Rig V-Core 4COREXY |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | QIDI | Rat Rig |
| Class | COREXY | COREXY |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | QIDI X-Smart 3, listed in QIDI navigation as X-Smart3[1][2] | Rat Rig V-Core 4, sold in the US as "RatRig V-Core 4 3D Printer Kit"[3] |
| Release date (announcement and actual shipping) | Not published by QIDI on the pages checked (Aug 2026)[1][2] | Not documented |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | $399 on QIDI's official US page, which routes purchases to its AliExpress and Amazon stores; checked Aug 2026[2] | $2,319.99 at Fabreeko for the fully-specified US kit (price includes shipping and duty in the continental USA), Batch 4, checked Aug 2026. 300 mm ABS-parts variant in stock, 400 mm down to one unit. Rat Rig's own base kit is priced separately in EUR[3][4] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | 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[1][5][6] | Three sizes (300, 400, 500 mm cubes) and three motion configurations: Standard CoreXY, Hybrid CoreXY (+$149.99, adds two motors to Y), and IDEX with two independent toolheads (+$450.00). Superseded by the V-Core 4.1. Raspberry Pi and enclosure panels are not included[3][4] |
| Market position: superseded? successor announced? | Not documented | Superseded by the V-Core 4.1, which adds a steel X gantry, a full-metal toolhead, improved part cooling, 8 mm beds on the 400 and 500 sizes and pre-made cables. Rat Rig sells a 4.1 upgrade kit for existing V-Core 4 owners[4] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 175 x 180 x 170 mm advertised[1][2] | 300 x 300 x 300, 400 x 400 x 400 or 500 x 500 x 500 mm. Sortable value is the 300 mm kit[3][4] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 370 x 362 x 397 mm[1] | Not documented |
| Net weight (kg) | 10.5 kg[1] | Not documented |
| Frame construction & material | QIDI publishes no frame-material breakdown for this model[1] | 30-series aluminium extrusion with printed ABS structural parts[3][4] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | No heated chamber. 3DJake's table records "Heated chamber: No"; QIDI does not describe an enclosure for this model[1] | Open by default; enclosure panels sold separately[3] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | CoreXY[1][2] | CoreXY, or Hybrid CoreXY, or Hybrid CoreXY IDEX depending on the configuration ordered[3] |
| Stepper drivers (exact model e.g. TMC2209; UART/SPI; sensorless homing?) | Not documented | TMC2209[3] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | <=500 mm/s (manufacturer claim)[1][2] | Not documented |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | 20,000 mm/s2 (manufacturer claim)[2] | Not documented |
| Max volumetric flow claimed (mm³/s) | 30 mm3/s extruder flow (manufacturer claim)[1][2] | Not documented |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Direct-drive extruder, single, 1.75 mm filament[1][2] | LDO Orbiter 2.0 direct-drive extruder[3] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?) | Brass nozzle head. 0.4 mm stock, 0.2/0.6/0.8 mm optional[1][2] | Phaetus Rapido 2.0 UHF[3] |
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | <=300 °C claimed[1][2] | Not documented |
| Stock nozzle material (brass / hardened steel / plated copper / composite tip) | Brass[1] | Not documented |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | <=120 °C claimed[1][2] | Not documented |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Double-sided flexible magnetic RF plate[1] | Keenovo silicone bed heater[3] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | 16-point automatic bed levelling per QIDI's US page; probe technology not named[2] | Beacon eddy-current probe[3] |
| Mesh grid size (probe point count — firmware evidence) | 16 points (QIDI's US page). Not verified against firmware[2] | Not documented |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Filament runout sensor (type, location) | Filament detection fitted; type and location not published[1] | Not documented |
| Cooling & Air Handling | ||
| Part-cooling fan(s): count, size, ducting design | Not documented | Nidec 4028 part-cooling fan[3] |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Mainboard model & MCU (exact chip markings if teardowns exist) | Not documented | BigTreeTech Octopus[3] |
| Host computer (SoC, RAM, storage) if firmware runs on embedded Linux | Cortex-A53 64-bit at 1.5 GHz, 1 GB DDR3, 8 GB eMMC[1] | Not documented |
| Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto) | 100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz[1] | Not documented |
| Total rated power draw | 350 W rated[1] | Not documented |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Klipper[2] | RatOS, Rat Rig's Klipper distribution[4] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 4.3-inch touchscreen[2] | Not documented |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | Wi-Fi and USB. No Ethernet listed for this model[1][2] | Not documented |
| Calibration Routines & QoL | ||
| Assembly level & time from unbox to first print | Not documented | Self-assembly kit; Raspberry Pi and enclosure panels sourced separately[3] |
| Reliability, Support & Ecosystem | ||
| Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes) | 1-year coverage (QIDI standard store terms)[7] | 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
- 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
- RatRig V-Core 4 kit (US distributor listing) fabreeko.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Rat Rig V-Core 4.1 product page ratrig.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