Elegoo’s Centauri Carbon is on my best 3D printer list for a good reason. When it comes to low-budget printers, it is really hard to beat the quality they provide. I really liked how fast and accurate the Centauri is, and at its normal price, it’s one of the best budget 3D printers around.
Right now, the Centauri is on sale for a great price of just $300, and while I would normally say that’s a steal, another printer that’s $40 more would be a better choice for most people.
The Adventurer 5X from Flashforge is very similar to the Centauri Carbon in terms of quality, speed, and, though it is a little smaller, most of the functionality is the same. Its big advantage over the Carbon is the built-in 4-color printing system. It’s a big difference that tends to lead to a bigger price hike, but right now, both machines are on sale, and I think the Adventurer 5X is the better deal, even if it is more expensive. It’s $340, so just $40 more than the Centauri.
Elegoo Centauri Carbon versus Flashforge Adventurer 5X
| Centauri Carbon | Adventurer 5DX | |
| Build Volume | 256 x 256 x 256 | 220 x 220 x 220 |
| Printer dimensions | 398 × 404 × 490 | 363 x 402 x 448 |
| Hot end | All metal | All metal |
| Nozzle diameter | 0.4mm quick swap | 0.4mm quick swap |
| Max speed | 500mm/s | 600mm/s |
| Supported material | PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG | PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU |
| Color system | Not compatible | Yes |
| Max Nozzle temp | 300c | 300c |
| Slicer | Elegoo Slicer | Flashforge Orca |
| Build plate camera | Yes | No |
Elegoo’s Centauri does have some advantages over the Adventurer. It has a built-in camera for checking your prints, and the print area is a little bigger in all dimensions, but those are minor when compared to the color system that comes with AD5X.
A few years ago, I would have said that a color system wasn’t necessary for a beginner, but as the systems get better and more affordable, it doesn’t make sense to buy a printer without one. The 5DX has an integrated color system that allows for four colors to be fed into a single nozzle. It creates a lot of waste — something that almost all color systems suffer from — but the print quality is comparable to the Centauri Carbon, with the added bonus of using multiple colors to make your models pop.
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The future of 3D printing lies in multi-color systems, but the Centauri Carbon won’t have a color system attached. The new Centauri Carbon 2 does have a color system, one very similar to the AD5X, but it’s currently priced over $100 more than the AD5X. At this moment in time, if you are looking for a printer around $300, then the $340 AD5X is the one I would choose.
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