Creality Ender-3 V4 3D Printer

You have a project queued, filament loaded, and a deadline. The last thing you need is twenty minutes of manual bed levelling, a failed first layer, or a printer that sounds like a worn-out desk fan in a quiet workshop. The Creality Ender-3 V4 starts printing from a paper-smooth first layer, runs at a whisper-quiet 47 dB in Quiet Mode, and reaches speeds up to 500 mm/s with full-auto calibration that requires exactly one tap from you.

Built on a die-cast aluminium unibody gantry with no seams and no flex, the Ender-3 V4 is Creality's most refined open-frame FDM printer. It ships with input shaping already configured, a dual-gear direct drive extruder, and a 300°C-capable hotend that opens the door to ABS, ASA, PETG, TPU, PLA-CF, and PA-CF. Whether you print a handful of parts per week or run overnight jobs continuously, the V4 does the heavy lifting so you focus on design.

500 mm/s Max Speed | Full-Auto Calibration | 300°C Hotend | Dual-Gear Direct Drive | Input Shaping Built In | 47 dB Quiet Mode | CFS Multi-Colour Ready (up to 16 colours)

Who the Creality Ender-3 V4 is built for

The hobbyist maker who wants results, not a tuning project

If you have spent more time calibrating than printing, the Ender-3 V4 is the reset you need. Full-auto levelling maps the bed surface and compensates automatically, so your first layer lands correctly from the first print. The 2.8-inch colour touchscreen walks you through the process clearly. You can load an STL via USB drive or push it straight from Creality Print over Wi-Fi from your desk. A cosplay mask, custom enclosure bracket, or set of functional hooks for a workshop wall, all print without a setup ceremony before each job.

The educator or school needing a reliable classroom printer

A South African classroom printer must survive mixed skill levels, irregular schedules, and tight budgets for consumables. The Ender-3 V4's quick-swap magnetic nozzle cover means a student can change a blocked nozzle in minutes, not half a lesson. The 47 dB Quiet Mode keeps noise below a normal conversation during supervised print sessions. Power-loss recovery picks up exactly where a job stopped when load-shedding interrupts a long print, protecting both the model and the filament. PLA at 200°C runs reliably on the PEI spring-steel bed without adhesion sprays.

The small print farm operator optimising throughput per rand

At R 7,999.99 incl. VAT, the Ender-3 V4 sits in a strong value position for operators running multiple open-frame printers simultaneously. At 500 mm/s top speed and 12,000 mm/s² acceleration, cycle times drop meaningfully compared to older-generation Ender hardware. Wi-Fi connectivity via Creality Cloud lets you queue, monitor, and manage jobs across several machines from a single screen without walking the floor. The CFS compatibility means you can add multi-colour capability to one machine and keep others on single-colour production runs, diversifying output without replacing hardware.

What sets the Creality Ender-3 V4 apart

Print speeds that change how you plan your week

The Ender-3 V4 reaches a maximum of 500 mm/s with an acceleration ceiling of 12,000 mm/s². In practice, well-tuned everyday prints run comfortably at 200–300 mm/s without surface quality compromise, which still represents a dramatic step up from first-generation Ender hardware limited to 60–80 mm/s. Jobs that previously ran overnight can finish before you leave for work. This is not marketing arithmetic; it is the direct result of a stiffer die-cast aluminium frame that resists resonance at high travel speeds, combined with built-in input shaping that actively cancels vibration-induced ringing. The result is clean surface detail even when you push the speed.

Auto-levelling that actually works the first time, every time

Bed adhesion problems are the most common reason a print fails in the first layer. The Ender-3 V4 uses a full-auto levelling system that maps the build surface before every print and compensates for any tilt or warp in the one-piece heated bed. The one-piece heatbed design enables faster, more uniform heating compared to segmented assemblies, reaching operating temperature quickly and holding it evenly across the 220 × 220 mm surface. The flexible PEI spring-steel build plate grips prints during the job and releases them with a simple flex of the plate once cool, without tools, scrapers, or adhesives under normal conditions.

A hotend that handles engineering materials without upgrades

The dual-gear direct drive extruder grips 1.75 mm filament with consistent, measured force at both drive gears, which matters most when printing flexible TPU or low-diameter CF-composite filaments that a Bowden setup would buckle or jam. The integrated nozzle-and-heatbreak design, inspired by the approach first popularised on the V3 series, swaps in seconds once the magnetic toolhead cover is pulled. The hotend reaches 300°C, which puts ABS, ASA, PLA-CF, and PA-CF all within comfortable range on a stock machine. You will need a hardened steel nozzle for extended carbon fibre runs, as brass wears quickly against abrasive filaments, but the hotend assembly itself needs no modification.

Quiet operation without sacrificing performance

Running at 47 dB in Quiet Mode, the Ender-3 V4 is measurably quieter than most open-frame printers in its class, which typically sit at 50–55 dB under normal print conditions. For a home workshop adjacent to a living area, or a school laboratory shared with other activities, that difference is audible and meaningful. The reduced noise comes from dynamically balanced part-cooling fans and hotend-cooling fans, which Creality weight-adjusts to minimise wobble and air-chop noise. Quiet Mode does reduce maximum speed slightly, but for standard PLA and PETG prints the trade-off is worthwhile and easily toggled.

CFS multi-colour compatibility built in from the start

The Ender-3 V4 ships as a single-colour printer but is engineered to accept up to four CFS (Creality Filament System) units, giving you access to up to 16 colours on a single print without manual filament swaps. The CFS also adds filament tangle detection and RFID filament recognition for compatible spools, which automatically loads correct print temperatures and material profiles. For operators or educators who want to add multi-colour capability later without buying an entirely new printer, this forward-compatibility is a meaningful cost saving. The Ender-3 V4 Combo bundles the CFS unit at purchase if you want multi-colour capability from day one.

Remote monitoring and cloud connectivity for practical workflow

The Ender-3 V4 connects to your network over Wi-Fi and integrates with the Creality Cloud App on Android and iOS. You can start a job remotely, receive a notification when it completes, and check on print progress without being in the same room. Files transfer directly from Creality Print on your PC or Mac via the network, removing the SD card shuffle that slows down high-volume workflows. For a print farm in Midrand or a design studio in Cape Town, network connectivity means all machines are managed from one desk. A USB drive slot remains for offline environments. The on-board 8 GB eMMC storage holds sliced files locally, so the printer does not depend on a continuous network connection once a job is sent.

Full specifications: Creality Ender-3 V4 3D Printer

How the Ender-3 V4 compares to the rest of the Ender-3 range

Materials and software for the Creality Ender-3 V4

Filaments this printer handles

The 300°C hotend and 100°C heated bed give the Ender-3 V4 a broader material range than most open-frame printers at this price. Browse our full filament range to stock up before your printer arrives.

• PLA (190–220°C hotend, 50–60°C bed). The default choice for most projects. Prints easily, details well, and releases cleanly from the PEI plate once cooled. Ideal for prototypes, decorative models, and classroom use.
• Hyper-PLA (220–240°C hotend, 50–60°C bed). Creality's high-flow PLA formulated for speeds above 300 mm/s. Pairs directly with the V4's speed capability for fast production runs with minimal quality loss.
• PETG (230–250°C hotend, 70–85°C bed). Stronger and more heat-resistant than PLA, with good layer adhesion. Excellent for functional parts, outdoor brackets, and food-safe applications. Slightly stringy; tune retraction carefully.
• ABS (230–250°C hotend, 90–100°C bed). Tough and machinable, well-suited to functional engineering parts. ABS warps without draft shielding; a physical enclosure or draught-free environment is strongly recommended in South Africa's variable workshop conditions.
• ASA (240–260°C hotend, 90–100°C bed). UV-stable alternative to ABS, preferred for outdoor fixtures and signage. Similar warp sensitivity to ABS; use an enclosure for best results.
• TPU 95A (220–240°C hotend, 30–50°C bed). Flexible and impact-resistant. The dual-gear direct drive extruder grips soft filament reliably where a Bowden setup would struggle. Print slowly (30–50 mm/s) for clean flexible parts.
• PLA-CF / PA-CF (240–260°C hotend, 60–80°C bed). Carbon-fibre composite filaments for stiff, lightweight structural parts. A hardened steel nozzle is essential for extended use, as brass wears rapidly against abrasive CF particles. Upgrade your nozzle before your first CF spool.

Slicers and software

• Creality Print 6.0. The recommended and officially supported slicer for the Ender-3 V4. Pre-configured print profiles for all supported materials ship with the software, and Wi-Fi direct-to-printer transfer is built in. Free download for Windows and macOS.
• OrcaSlicer. A community-developed open-source slicer based on the Bambu Lab fork of PrusaSlicer, with strong multi-material and fine-tuning support. Highly compatible with the Ender-3 V4 via custom machine profiles and excellent for users who want granular control over G-code output.
• PrusaSlicer. Mature, open-source, and well-documented. Custom FFF printer profiles for the Ender-3 V4 are readily available from the community. A reliable secondary option for users already familiar with the Prusa ecosystem.
• Ultimaker Cura. The most widely used open-source slicer globally, with an extensive plugin library. Ender-3 V4 profiles are available via the community marketplace. Suited to users coming from older Ender hardware who are already comfortable with Cura's workflow.

What's in the box

• Creality Ender-3 V4 3D Printer (partially pre-assembled)
• PEI spring-steel flexible build plate
• 0.4 mm nozzle (installed)
• Sample filament (PLA, approximately 10 m)
• USB drive with Creality Print slicer and documentation
• Tool kit: Allen keys, side cutters, spatula, spare nozzle
• Grease sachet for lead screw lubrication
• Power cable (Type M South African round-pin plug; confirm plug type on delivery)
• Quick-start guide and assembly instructions

Ordering, shipping and support for your Creality Ender-3 V4

3D Printing Store ships the Creality Ender-3 V4 nationwide via courier to all major South African centres, typically within 2–5 business days from our Centurion and Boksburg warehouses. The printer carries a 1-year warranty handled locally, with replacement parts stocked in-country, so you are not waiting on international shipping for a heatbed or extruder component. Filament, nozzles, and Creality spare parts are available from the same store, consolidating your order and shipping into one delivery. Contact us at sales@3dprintingstore.co.za or (012) 665 1391 for pre-purchase advice or post-sale technical support.

Frequently asked questions about the Creality Ender-3 V4

Is the Ender-3 V4 better than the Ender-3 V3 KE?

Yes, in most meaningful respects. The Ender-3 V4 uses a more rigid die-cast aluminium unibody gantry, a higher-performance dual-gear direct drive extruder, and pushes acceleration to 12,000 mm/s² versus the V3 KE's 8,000 mm/s². The full-auto levelling on the V4 requires less user input than the V3 KE's CR Touch-assisted setup. The V3 KE remains a strong option at R 5,999.95 if budget is the primary constraint, but the V4 at R 7,999.99 is a more capable daily-use machine with a clearer upgrade path to multi-colour printing via CFS.

Can the Ender-3 V4 print TPU, ABS, and carbon-fibre filaments?

Yes to all three. The dual-gear direct drive extruder handles flexible TPU 95A reliably at reduced speeds (30–50 mm/s). ABS and ASA print well at the 300°C hotend limit with a bed temperature up to 100°C, though a draught-free environment helps prevent warping. PLA-CF and PA-CF are fully supported at stock temperatures, but you must fit a hardened steel nozzle before running carbon-fibre composites to protect the nozzle from abrasive wear.

How long does it take to set up out of the box?

Most users complete assembly in 15–30 minutes. The Ender-3 V4 ships partially pre-assembled: you bolt the gantry to the base, connect a small number of clearly labelled cable plugs, and power on. The on-screen setup wizard runs auto-levelling and Z-offset calibration automatically. Your first print can begin within the hour. No prior 3D printing experience is required for assembly, though reading the quick-start guide fully before you begin saves time.

How often does the nozzle need replacing?

With standard PLA and PETG, a brass nozzle typically lasts 500–1,000 hours of print time before wear affects print quality noticeably. Running abrasive filaments like PLA-CF or PA-CF will wear a brass nozzle significantly faster, often within 20–50 hours of continuous use. The Ender-3 V4's quick-swap magnetic toolhead cover makes nozzle changes straightforward. Stock up on replacement nozzles, and switch to a hardened steel nozzle if you plan regular composite filament use.

Does the Ender-3 V4 work on South African 220V power, and does it come with a local plug?

Yes. The Ender-3 V4 power supply is rated 100–240V AC at 50/60 Hz, making it fully compatible with South Africa's 220V grid without any adaptor or voltage converter. The printer is supplied with a power cable; verify the plug type matches your South African round-pin (Type M) socket on delivery, as some imported units ship with a Type C or Type A cable. If the plug does not match, a standard IEC C14 to Type M adaptor or replacement cable is inexpensive and widely available locally.