Elegoo Centauri Carbon vs Qidi Q2
Researched by Riley Hart · prices checked Nov 4, 2026
As of Nov 4, 2026, the Elegoo Centauri Carbon costs $438 and the Qidi Q2 costs $449, so the Elegoo Centauri Carbon is $11 cheaper. The Qidi Q2 has a published review score and ranks #5 in our 3D printers ranking; the Elegoo Centauri Carbon is not scored yet. Pick the Elegoo Centauri Carbon for budget enclosed printing in one color. Pick the Qidi Q2 for makers printing engineering filaments like nylon, PC and ABS. The Qidi Q2 wins 3 of 4 points we can measure (1 tied).
Who wins, point by point
The Qidi Q2 wins 3 of 4 points we can measure (1 tied). Built from today's prices, the specs and independent tests for these two robots.
| Centauri Carbon | Q2 | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price today | $438 | $449 | Tie |
| Build volume | 256 x 256 x 256 mm | 270 x 270 x 256 mm | Q2 |
| Top print speed | 500 mm/s | 600 mm/s | Q2 |
| Max nozzle temp | 320°C | 370°C | Q2 |
- Best for budget enclosed printing in one color
- You care most about build volume (270 x 270 x 256 mm vs 256 x 256 x 256 mm)
- You care most about top print speed (600 mm/s vs 500 mm/s)
- You care most about max nozzle temp (370°C vs 320°C)
- Best for makers printing engineering filaments like nylon, PC and ABS
- Build volume
- 256 x 256 x 256 mm
- Max speed
- Up to 500 mm/s
- Multicolor
- Single color out of
- Enclosure
- Yes
Budget enclosed CoreXY printer that handles carbon fiber filament
Full Elegoo Centauri Carbon review, pros and cons →- Build volume
- 270 x 270 x 256 mm
- Max speed
- Up to 600 mm/s
- Multicolor
- Optional QIDI Box
- Enclosure
- Yes
Enclosed printer with a 65 C heated chamber for nylon and PC
Full Qidi Q2 review, pros and cons →Side by side
| Elegoo Centauri Carbon | Qidi Q2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $438 | $449 |
| 3 year cost | $438 | $449 |
| Our score | Not scored yet | 8.2/10 |
| Rank in 3D printers | #39 | #5 |
| Status | on sale | on sale |
| Warranty | n/a | 1 year, 14 day no reason return, 30 day price match (Qidi store) |
| Build volume | 256 x 256 x 256 mm | 270 x 270 x 256 mm (Qidi) |
| Print speed | Up to 500 mm/s, 20,000 mm/s2 acceleration (Elegoo); speed Benchy in 18 min 19 s (Tom's Hardware) | Up to 600 mm/s, 20,000 mm/s2 acceleration; about 300 mm/s typical for PLA and ABS (Qidi) |
| Multi color | Single color out of the box; rear purge chute for add on multi color. Elegoo sells a CANVAS for Centauri Carbon accessory, but the product page does not spell out support | Optional QIDI Box (Combo) for up to 4 filaments; Tom's Hardware had repeated jams with it and found it better as a dryer |
| Enclosure | Yes, glass door and lid with metal sides; no chamber heater, chamber reached 41 C after 20 min (Tom's Hardware) | Yes, fully enclosed with active chamber heating up to 65 C and HEPA plus carbon filtration (Qidi, TechRadar) |
| Auto leveling | Yes, auto bed leveling; All3DP rarely had to re level | Yes, hands free leveling with a load cell in the hotend (Qidi) |
| Max nozzle temp | 320 C, 0.4 mm hardened steel nozzle (All3DP) | 370 C (Qidi); Tom's Hardware confirmed it reached 370 C |
| Heated bed | Up to 110 C; reached 110 C in just over 7 min on 110 V (Tom's Hardware) | Yes, up to 120 C with a dual sided textured PEI plate (Qidi, TechRadar) |
| Connectivity | LAN, Wi-Fi and USB; no cloud account required (Tom's Hardware) | Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB, QIDI Cloud (Qidi; the store page lists 2.4 GHz in the spec table and 2.4 and 5 GHz in its FAQ) |
| Camera | Yes, chamber camera (Elegoo) | Yes, up to 1080p with timelapse and AI spaghetti detection (Qidi) |
| Weight | 17.5 kg (Tom's Hardware) | 18.1 kg net, 23.5 kg shipped; 402 x 438 x 494 mm (Qidi) |
| Filament types | n/a | PLA, ABS, ASA, PETG, TPU, PA, PC and carbon or glass fiber blends (Qidi) |
| Noise | n/a | No dB figure; Tom's Hardware called it quite loud, mostly from the box and filament cutter |
| Assembly | n/a | Not checked |
| Best for | budget enclosed printing in one color | makers printing engineering filaments like nylon, PC and ABS |
| Skip if | you want multi color printing out of the box | multi color printing is your main goal |
Specs are maker claims unless a reviewer is named. Prices from the stores we link, checked daily.
What reviewers found
Elegoo Centauri Carbon
- Tom's Hardware: Editor's Choice. Speed Benchy 18 min 19 s, dragon 1 h 10 min, PETG planter 4 h 27 min. Bed hit 110 C in just over 7 min. PC blend corners still lifted at 100 C bed. Source
- All3DP: After about a week of printing, called build quality close to Bambu Lab's X1 series. PLA results were good, but glossy filaments showed vertical fine artifacts and it struggled on an overhang test. Source
Qidi Q2
- Tom's Hardware: Reached 370 C nozzle, 120 C bed and 65 C chamber. Printed PA11 CF, PC and ABS-GF parts without warping. The QIDI Box jammed repeatedly and fed only one filament in multi color tests. Source
- TechRadar (4.5/5): Ran for about six months with no issues. Scored 29 of 30 in print tests with an average XY error of 0.128 mm. First layer never needed manual adjustment. Source
Questions buyers ask
Which is better, the Elegoo Centauri Carbon or the Qidi Q2?
The Qidi Q2 has a published review score and ranks #5 in our 3D printers ranking; the Elegoo Centauri Carbon is not scored yet. Pick the Elegoo Centauri Carbon for budget enclosed printing in one color. Pick the Qidi Q2 for makers printing engineering filaments like nylon, PC and ABS.
Which is cheaper?
The Elegoo Centauri Carbon at $438, versus $449 for the Qidi Q2, checked Nov 4, 2026. Over 3 years with running costs: $438 vs $449.
What is the difference between the Centauri Carbon and the Q2?
Build volume: 256 x 256 x 256 mm on the Centauri Carbon, 270 x 270 x 256 mm (Qidi) on the Q2. Print speed: Up to 500 mm/s, 20,000 mm/s2 acceleration (Elegoo); speed Benchy in 18 min 19 s (Tom's… on the Centauri Carbon, Up to 600 mm/s, 20,000 mm/s2 acceleration; about 300 mm/s typical for PLA and ABS (Qidi) on the Q2. Multi color: Single color out of the box; rear purge chute for add on multi color. Elegoo sells a… on the Centauri Carbon, Optional QIDI Box (Combo) for up to 4 filaments; Tom's Hardware had repeated jams with… on the Q2.
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