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> WiFi has nothing to do with the requirement for a massive heatsink. If it did, you iPhone would be a huge block of aluminum with fins. No, the heatsink is required because 80% (or more) of the energy going into an LED is converted into heat

I believe the author meant that without proper cooling, the excess heat would fry the WiFi controller

That being said, I have no clue what the operating temperatures of today's WiFi systems are




Most are available in models that are rated up to 85°C.

You probably wouldn’t want your LED lights to be much hotter than that (with heatsink) for maximum life. I looked up the most powerful white LED that my local electronics distributor sells, and it’s a 24 watt Cree. It’s rated for up to 150°C, so I guess with Wi-Fi you might need to cool it more than you otherwise would. Most of these lightbulbs are controlled by microcontrollers or other ICs that max out at around 125°C anyway.




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