Elegoo Centauri Carbon Review – A Much Needed Competitor
Reading Time: 12 minutes The 3D printing market just got more interesting with Elegoo’s bold entry into the CoreXY space – the Elegoo Centauri Carbon.
At a launch price of $299, this enclosed printer arrives at a pivotal moment when high-speed CoreXY machines are becoming increasingly accessible, positioning itself as a direct competitor to the Bambu Lab X1C but at a significantly lower price point.
What makes the Centauri Carbon particularly intriguing is its comprehensive feature set: a legitimate 256 x 256 x 256mm build volume, strain gauge bed leveling, and a high-flow direct drive extruder.
The printer supports everything from basic PLA to engineering-grade materials like carbon fiber composites, thanks to its thoughtfully designed enclosed frame and comprehensive temperature management system.
Building on Elegoo’s strong reputation in the resin printer market, their first CoreXY venture brings together popular features like a dual-surface magnetic print bed, built-in camera monitoring, and a cleverly positioned side-mounted spool holder.
But in a market where promises are plenty and high-end features are becoming standard, the real question is whether this new contender can deliver professional-grade performance at its modest price point.
Let’s dive deep into what makes the Centauri Carbon tick.
Features of the Elegoo Centauri Carbon
First let me list out the features of this machine.
Core Features:
- Enclosed CoreXY Design with Steel Frame and Aluminum Panels
- Linear Motion System
- Build Volume: 256 x 256 x 256mm
- Direct Drive Extruder with High Flow Hotend
- High Temperature Capabilities
- High-Speed Printing
- AI-Powered Monitoring
Print Bed & Leveling:
- Dual-Surface Print Bed
- Automatic Bed Leveling – Four-Point Strain Gauge
- Temperature Management System
Control & Connectivity:
- User-Friendly Interface
- Klipper Firmware with 8GB Storage
- Custom Slicing Software
- Connectivity Options
Additional Features:
- Integrated Camera System
- Side-Mounted Spool Holder
- Advanced Cooling System
Let’s look at these features in more detail.
Core Features
Enclosed CoreXY Design
The Centauri Carbon features a fully enclosed frame with a sealed chamber, making use of the CoreXY design.
This design helps maintain consistent printing temperatures and reduces environmental interference, while the CoreXY system enables high-speed printing with improved accuracy and reduced vibration.
The enclosure uses glass panels with a magnetically latching front door that opens beyond 90 degrees and includes a removable top glass panel with a handle.
Build Volume: 256 x 256 x 256mm
It offers a true cubic build volume of 256 x 256 x 256mm, similar to Bambu Lab machines.
Linear Motion System
Employs a sophisticated motion system using linear rods for X and Y axis movement, combined with three synchronized lead screws for Z-axis control via timing belt.
This configuration delivers smooth, precise motion control across all axes for high-quality print results.
Direct Drive Extruder with High Flow Hotend
Features a high-performance direct drive system with hardened steel gears and a high-flow hotend capable of 32mm³/s flow rate.
The powerful 60W heater can reach 320°C in approximately 2 minutes, while the hardened steel nozzle comes standard for handling abrasive materials like carbon fiber composites.
The hot end assembly features quick-disconnect screws and cables for easy replacement and maintenance.
High-Temperature Capabilities
The printer offers comprehensive temperature control with a hotend capable of reaching 320°C and a heated bed that goes up to 110°C.
These high-temperature capabilities enable printing with a wide range of materials, from basic PLA to engineering-grade filaments like ABS, PETG, and carbon fiber composites.
High-Speed Printing
The Centauri Carbon is capable of reaching speeds up to 500mm/s in optimal conditions.
The robust frame construction with rubber feet helps minimize vibration at high speeds, ensuring print quality isn’t compromised when printing fast.
It offers multiple speed modes including Balanced (default 100%), Silent (60%), Sport (133%), and Ludicrous (166%).
AI-Powered Monitoring
The printer features advanced AI capabilities including anomaly detection and spaghetti detection through its integrated camera system, providing an additional layer of print monitoring and failure prevention.
Print Bed & Leveling
Dual-Surface Print Bed
Includes a versatile double-sided spring steel sheet featuring textured PEI on one side and an epoxy-like surface on the other.
The heated bed reaches 110°C in 9.5 minutes. The epoxy surface enables PLA printing at lower temperatures (around 30°C), while the PEI side handles high-temperature materials effectively.
Automatic Bed Leveling – Four-Point Strain Gauge
Utilizes an advanced bed leveling system with four strain gauges mounted under the bed for automatic leveling and Z-offset calibration.
The system creates a precise bed mesh by probing 121 points in an 11×11 grid pattern, ensuring optimal first layer adhesion across the entire print surface.
The system stores two separate leveling profiles for each side of the build plate, allowing quick switching between surfaces without recalibration.
Temperature Management
While not actively heated, the enclosed design can efficiently maintain stable ambient temperatures around 40°C or higher during operation.
This natural temperature control enables successful printing of temperature-sensitive materials like ABS and engineering-grade filaments without warping issues.
Control & Connectivity
User-Friendly Interface
Implements a modern, intuitive touchscreen interface similar to high-end printers. The system provides easy access to temperature controls, fan settings, and printer functions with a clean, straightforward layout.
Klipper Firmware
Runs on Klipper firmware with a user-friendly web interface similar to Fluid. Features 8GB of eMMC storage with 6GB available for user files, providing ample space for print files and firmware functions while maintaining system stability and performance.
Custom Slicing Software – Elegoo Slicer
Comes with a modified version of Orca Slicer (ELEGOO Slicer) that includes optimized printing profiles and full printer integration. The software offers both basic and advanced modes to suit different user experience levels.
Connectivity Options
Offers both USB drive and WiFi connectivity, with automatic firmware updates. The printer can be monitored and controlled remotely, and includes features like power loss recovery and print progress tracking.
Additional Features
Integrated Camera System
Features a built-in camera with LED lighting for remote print monitoring and time-lapse creation. While the lighting is basic and minimal, the camera produces quality time-lapses that exceed some competitors’ capabilities.
Side-Mounted Spool Holder
Has a side-mounted spool holder for 1KG rolls, providing easier access to filament compared to rear-mounted systems.
Includes an integrated filament runout sensor, PTFE tube guidance system, and a “poop chute” (purge system) at the back for filament changes and purging, with potential for future multi-material upgrades.
Advanced Cooling System
Implements a comprehensive cooling solution with a 50/20 blower for part cooling, complemented by an auxiliary fan at the back and an exhaust fan.
This multi-fan setup ensures optimal printing conditions across different materials while preventing heat creep and maintaining proper layer adhesion.
Features a specialized nano mineral crystal filtration system for managing fumes, particularly beneficial for materials like ASA.
Specifications of the Elegoo Centauri Carbon
Printer Specifications
- Printer Type: FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)
- Maximum Build Volume: 256×256×256(mm³)
- Print Precision: ±0.1mm
- Nozzle Diameter: Standard (0.4mm)
- Print Speed: ≤500mm/s
- Ambient Environment Temperature: 5°C~40°C
Operating Temperature Specifications
- Maximum Temperature of Nozzle: 320°C
- Maximum Temperature of Heated Bed: 110°C
Software Specifications
- Slicer Software: ELEGOO Slicer (recommended)
- Input File Format: STL, OBJ, 3MF, STP
- Output File Format: G-code
- Interface: USB Drive, WIFI
Power Supply Specifications
- Input Power: AC 100-240V; 50/60Hz
- Rated Power: 110W@220V 350W@110V
Physical Specifications
- Machine Size: 398×404×490mm
- Net Weight: 17.5kg
The illustration below comes from the online manual that you get from the USB stick.
Here are the accessories that come with the Elegoo Centauri Carbon.
Unboxing & Assembly of the Elegoo Centauri Carbon
The unboxing and assembly process is a nice, simple one. It’s nice to see how easy it is to assemble 3D printers nowadays compared to the older Ender 3 days where it took a few hours to get my first print.
The Elegoo Centauri comes in a very well-padded box and plastic sheets to keep it protected and pristine. It’s pretty heavy so you’ll want to take your time removing it from the box.
Remove the top layer of the box and take the machine out, it has some extra plastic wrapping to remove.
Here’s the accessories box which includes things like your spool holder, screen, fixing kit, lubricant, and power supply.
Inside the package you’ll have a simple User Manual with instructions on setting things up.
- Take out the foam and tool kit from the printer
- Unblock the heated bed using a 2.0mm Allen wrench to remove the three screws
- Get the screen and insert the ribbon cable from the front into the screen
- Install the screen into the slot
- Mount the spool holder
- Load the filament
- Power on the machine and follow the basic on-screen prompts to do the device self-check
- Once that’s done you can start your first print, all within about 30 minutes from opening the package.
Here’s the machine fully set up with the convenient side spool holder.
After the self-check is done you can move onto printing!
Print Quality of the Elegoo Centauri Carbon
The print quality of the Elegoo Centauri Carbon is just as you would expect from a company like Elegoo. High quality, brilliant first layers, sturdy, and reliable.
From my initial testing, I didn’t have any failures or bad first layers. Some models had supports that could have been better, but that’s due to settings.
With the help of Fotis Mint’s design skills, check out the close ups of the models below.
They were all printed with a 0.2mm layer height, mostly standard settings without many changes so you can see how it works out the box. I used PLA for most of the models except the screw container in red ABS.
Blade
Time taken: 3 hours 14 minutes
Cyborg
Time taken: 5 hours 41 minutes
Pennywise
Time taken: 9 hours 27 minutes
ABS Screw Container
Time taken: 1 hour 28 minutes
Benefits of the Elegoo Centauri Carbon
- Prints at high speeds of 500mm/s without sacrificing on quality so you can complete projects quickly and reliably
- More reliable printing with features like remote monitoring, to catch issues early and not waste time or materials.
- Spool holder placed on the side of the machine so it’s easier to access to change filament and see how much filament is left
- No need to buy upgrades or modifications to use advanced materials like ABS, Nylon or carbon fiber – just load and print
- Get high-end features at nearly half the price of similar printers, leaving more budget for other things, or more filament
- Save plenty of time by going from box to first print in 30 minutes instead of spending hours on assembly and calibration
- Gives you speed choices of Ludicrous mode (166%) for quick prototypes or Silent mode (60%) for detailed prints, or in between.
- Enclosed design and reliable bed adhesion mean fewer failed prints and less wasted material
- Check prints from anywhere through the camera, with power loss recovery if something goes wrong
Downsides of the Elegoo Centauri Carbon
- No multi-color capability: Limited to single color prints until future updates
- Loud calibration operations with high volumes right next to the print head reaching 84dB during operation with iPhone app
- Spool holder only fits 1KG rolls
- Low lighting and camera feed make it harder to spot problems with dark filaments during remote monitoring
- PTFE tube angle makes loading filaments difficult, needed to detach the PTFE from the cable chain for a better angle on the path
- While solid overall, the strong door magnets result in notably loud closing
Customer Reviews on the Elegoo Centauri Carbon
There are some solid reviews from popular creators out that I recommend you checking out. They are both great watches and have amazing visuals and explanations.
Uncle Jessy Review
Uncle Jessy walks us through his experience with Elegoo’s new enclosed 3D printer, the Centauri Carbon. While he’s sponsored by Elegoo, he gives an honest peek at what makes this printer exciting – think high-quality prints on a Bambu X1 Carbon-style machine but at a much friendlier price point. From cosplay helmets to bouncy TPU basketballs, his prints show why you should consider getting this machine for yourself.
Aurora Tech Review
Aurora Tech delivers an incredibly helpful review that breaks down everything you need to know about the Elegoo Centauri Carbon, walking through real test prints to show what this $399 printer can actually do. If you’re torn between this and pricier options like the Bambu Lab X1C, this review is perfect. They test everything from basic PLA to tricky materials like nylon, showing honest results with both the strengths and quirks of the printer. It’s perfect for anyone trying to figure out if this more affordable enclosed printer is the right choice for their setup.
Conclusion – Worth Buying or Not?
The Elegoo Centauri Carbon represents a significant shift in the 3D printing market, bringing high-end CoreXY features to a much more accessible price point.
At $399, it’s clear that Elegoo has managed to package an impressive array of capabilities into a machine that costs substantially less than its competitors.
With features like 500mm/s print speeds, a fully enclosed design and strain gauge bed leveling, it delivers high-end functionality at an accessible price point.
The Centauri Carbon has some noticeable downsides like the PTFE tube placement that makes loading filament difficult and loud operational noise, but its print quality and reliability are solid.
The practical features like the side-mounted spool holder, AI-powered monitoring, and dual-surface print bed show that Elegoo designed this with real user needs in mind.
For anyone considering an enclosed CoreXY printer, the Centauri Carbon delivers high-end features at nearly half the price of similar machines.
The 30-minute setup and user-friendly interface work well for both beginners and experienced users. While you won’t get multi-color printing, its ability to handle everything from PLA to engineering-grade materials makes it incredibly capable.
The Centauri Carbon is redefining what you can get in a sub-$500 printer. Elegoo has shown that fast, enclosed CoreXY printing can be accessible without the premium price tag, opening up new possibilities for the 3D printing community.
Pre-order the Elegoo Centauri Carbon from their website today for $299.
