Both machines performed admirably on such ambitious overhangs – we wouldn’t have expected good results from 75º overhangs like the Scandic Plate until this generation of 3D printers.

However, we do think there’s a clear winner in our overhang testing, with the Original Prusa MK4S beating out the Bambu Lab X1.

That result came as something of a surprise. The Bambu Lab X1 had a distinct advantage in that many materials which normally have a dedicated profile via Prusa Slicer, such as PolyTerra, don’t yet for the MK4S. It’ll take time to adjust for the system’s new cooling and high-flow nozzle. The Bambu Lab X1, having been around for a while, does.

The result was that all materials but Prusament printed on the MK4S used a generic profile, while the X1 had dedicated profiles for Bambu Lab Basic PLA, Overture, and PolyTerra. Still, the MK4S models performed better overall.

So what’s the takeaway? Though the update to Bambu Studio did a lot to help how Bambu Lab’s top-tier device handles overhangs, that might not be the full story. It may be that the Prusa MK4S’ combination of hardware is superior for overhang performance, or just that an enclosed system can’t keep up with an open frame for low-temperature materials like PLA – even with an open door.

We’re not going to say that you can’t get the same quality of results from both systems, but looking at Bambu Lab Basic PLA and FormFutura ReForm rPET on the X1, both are certainly capable of producing these steep overhangs well. That suggests you can tweak your profiles with materials that don’t quite hit the mark to get there. But, some hardware might make this easier for you: it’s certainly notable that the MK4S’ Generic PLA material profile performed well with a variety of filament.

And, to the obvious: profiles do matter. I doubt anyone bats an eye at finding Prusament PLA performs better on a Prusa 3D printer. These companies know their hardware, know their materials, and have spent ample time using both and tweaking their public slicer profiles. Third-party materials might not get the same treatment, but we’ve seen impressive results from materials we wouldn’t necessarily consider top-quality by users who have spent time tuning their profiles. It just might be more trouble than it’s worth.

Importantly, there seems to be a divergence from Cowan’s results here, who compared Bambu Lab Matte PLA and Prusament PLA performance on both systems. Most notably, our results printing Prusament PLA on the X1 were significantly worse than on the MK4S while Cowan’s were much closer in performance. Whether this is the result of different ambient conditions, the subtle difference of color between our tested materials, or something else altogether we can’t say.

Regardless, testing all around shows both systems to be capable of pretty darn impressive results.