PROS: Impressive performance and output quality Unbeatable price and value Quick to set up and easy to use Sleek, minimalist, and compact designCONS: Chamber light is too dim Interior temperatures might not get hot enough for some materialsRATINGS:AESTHETICSERGONOMICSPERFORMANCESUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITYVALUE FOR MONEYEDITOR'S QUOTE:The Elegoo Centauri Carbon delivers a potent combo of excellent performance and great value, giving creatives from all walks of life a tool to turn their ideas into reality.There is no doubt that 3D printing smashed open the floodgates of creativity, allowing almost anyone with a dream and a vision to turn their ideas into reality. In a sense, it democratized the creative process by giving individuals and small groups of people a power that was previously reserved for big companies with deep pockets and access to production pipelines. Just seeing the number of designs and DIY projects that came flooding in during the past few years is enough of a testament to how 3D printers are empowering not just professionals but hobbyists as well.That said, 3D printers are definitely not toys. The vast majority of them are expensive, bulky, and complicated, creating a different kind of barrier to entry. The Elegoo Centauri Carbon is trying to challenge the status quo with what could very well be the most affordable enclosed 3D printer in the market. But did it cut corners to reach that price point or is the Centauri Carbon truly capable of making creative dreams come true? Thats the quest we embarked on with this review of a tool that promises a whole new world of fun and creativity to designers.Designer: ElegooClick Here to Buy Now: $299.99.Aesthetics3D printers are quite large machines, even those that you could theoretically put on your desk. Some printers have even reduced their design to something like a metal skeleton to further reduce their footprint, but that doesnt come without a cost in performance. For some materials that need a more regulated temperature, you need to have not just a frame but also panels to keep the heat in.Fully enclosed printers, however, are often more expensive, which is why the Elegoo Centauri Carbons price tag comes as a bit of a shock. In a nutshell, it promises nearly all the features youve come to expect from more expensive 3D printers but in a compact and affordable package. But despite that low price, its clear that Elegoo didnt cut corners on the printers design. You get a sleek and modern-looking 3D printer sitting on your table, with tinted glass panels on the front and on one side. It didnt skimp on materials either, using die-cast aluminum for the chassis.In other words, you get a machine that not only looks premium but also feels premium. The Centauri Carbon cuts a very sharp and handsome silhouette, especially with its black frame and tinted glass panels. It has very minimal decorations as well, with only the control display in front and the filament spool holder and loader on the right (facing the printer) side. With a size of 398 404 490 mm and a build volume of 256 256 256 mm, it doesnt take up too much table space and looks quite good standing there even when its not printing anything.ErgonomicsThe Elegoo Centauri Carbon has a very minimalist design that belies its true power yet also makes it easy to use. In fact, setting up the printer is quick and effortless, with very few parts to assemble or remove once youve pulled the printer out of the box. The one very important detail you have to remember at this point is to remove three screws that hold down the printing bed. Removing the packaging and performing self-checks would probably take you only half an hour on average, and you can be up and running as quickly as possible.With almost everything pre-installed, all you really need to do is to put in the build plate, which conveniently uses magnets to quickly snap into the correct position, place the filament spool on the holder, and thread the material into the small run-out detector box. The placement of these last two is actually quite a smart choice. Other 3D printers put them on the back to achieve a cleaner appearance when looking at the printer itself, but that makes it harder to change materials without having to either reach for the back of the box or turn it around. Having it on the side sends a message that the Centauri Carbon is designed for agile workflows.Despite its compact form, the Elegoo Centauri Carbon is certainly not lightweight, weighing around 21kg. You definitely wouldnt want to move it around a lot, and not just because of its heft. While its easy to set up the first time, every time you move the 3D printer, you will have to do the leveling calibration again. The auto-leveling feature really only applies between different prints.PerformanceGiven its mind-blowing price tag, it comes as a pleasant surprise just how well the Elegoo Centauri Carbon performs, but were getting ahead of ourselves. On paper, it has quite a formidable list of features youd come to expect from more expensive professional FDM 3D printers, including a max printing speed of 500 mm/s, a hardened steel dual-gear extruder, a brass-hardened steel nozzle, three fans, an activated carbon air filter, and, of course, a 4.3-inch touch screen.During CalibrationAfter CalibrationThe output of the Centauri Carbon is simply amazing, both in terms of speed and quality. In some cases, you wouldnt even think that the objects it produces were 3D printed at all, especially with the lack of telltale signs like lines and seams. The large capacity of the build chamber means you can print some large objects in one go, such as a helmet prop for some costumes. Smaller prints are also not a problem, even those with rather complicated surfaces and markings.Ikasumi senbei/Rice cracker (3D printed)The 3D printer can handle quite a variety of filament materials, including PLA, ABS, PETG, ASA, and even Carbon Fiber, just to name a few. It has a rather ingenious dual-sided build plate that has a rough surface on one side for most materials and a smooth surface on the opposite side just for PLA. The enclosed design of the printer allows heat to be trapped inside for materials that require higher temperatures, though the cooling system seems to work a little too well and keeps the chamber pretty cool.Despite all its powerful capabilities, the Elegoo Centauri Carbon is surprisingly easy to use and most of the default settings are enough to handle almost any task. Youll probably end up changing only temperatures and other minor settings depending on the material or printing task, and most of those can be done on the touchscreen controller. For everything else, using the accompanying software and slicer is also familiar to users of other 3D printers. The Centauri Carbon is really designed for ease of use so you spend less time tweaking settings and more time working on perfecting your models to be printed.If theres one wart on the Elegoo Centauri Carbons almost perfect face, it would be the visibility of what goes on inside. Yes, it has a camera and internal lighting, but the latter is just too dim to make anything identifiable, especially if youre working with dark filaments. The fact that the glass panels are tinted makes it even worse, as you cant quickly take a peek inside to check the printing status. You can always open the front door or remove the top panel, but that wont be advisable for some materials.The 3D printers helpful Filament Run-Out Sensor might also be a liability down the line. All filaments have to pass through here, of course, which makes the process of manually loading each and every filament a little tiring. For single-color or single-material prints, thats not much of a problem, but anything more complicated will get cumbersome really fast. It might also potentially limit the possibility of using a multi-filament feeder in the future, though Elegoo hopefully has a solution for that when the time comes.Sustainability3D printers are in a sort of no mans land right now when it comes to environmental impact. While they do enable more rapid testing and production, they also create a bit more waste from those steps. Common filaments are also made of plastic or have chemicals in them, further increasing the worlds total plastic output in the long run. At the same time, however, there is also a huge potential in using more sustainable materials for filaments, a risk that bigger companies might not be willing to take yet.If theres one thing that Elegoo does quite well in this department its that it already has replacement parts available this early. Its not for everything yet, but being able to buy spare hotends and build plates right off the bat goes a long way in improving the longevity of the product. Hopefully, it will have other parts available for purchase soon as well. The printer can also receive software updates to improve features and remove bugs, yet another way to preserve the products use for years to come.ValueThe Elegoo Centauri Carbon enclosed FDM 3D printer has a price tag of $299.99. Let that sink in for a while. But in case you dont have any reference, other printers of this design easily cost twice as much. Even more unbelievable is the fact that it is able to pull off complicated prints with speed and aplomb. Aside from the dim lighting, theres almost very little to criticize about this 3D printer.Sure, the more expensive enclosed printers might have more features or larger build volumes, but those features might actually make more sense for more seasoned veterans who have the budget to invest in more complex machines. Some creative professionals and hobbyists will probably be content with standard functionality as long as the prints come out well, and the Elegoo Centauri Carbon doesnt disappoint in any significant way.VerdictFor 3D printing to really empower more people, it needs to actually be accessible. Like with any other product, sometimes youre forced to compromise between price and power as if those are always mutually exclusive. Once in a while, however, a seemingly miraculous design pops up that proves that shouldnt be the case. The Elegoo Centauri Carbon is one such design.Flaunting a $299.99 price tag that doesnt skimp on the essentials and performs with both power and finesse, the Centauri Carbon definitely has the potential to shake up the 3D printing market. It dares to challenge the status quo with an enclosed 3D printer that is not only affordable but also reliable. With such a powerful tool, Elegoo is inviting more people to start on their own adventures in bringing their ideas to life, taking flat, 2D digital designs and turning them into true three-dimensional objects you can hold and love.Click Here to Buy Now: $299.99.The post Elegoo Centauri Carbon 3D Printer Review: Empowering Creatives to Bring Their Ideas to Life first appeared on Yanko Design.