5050 LED: Stop Guessing, Start Specifying

“Know what’s inside that square before you place an order.”

Problem — Every spec sheet throws around “5050 LED,” yet none clarify whether it houses RGB dice, a white emitter, or a tunable module.

Agitate — Guess wrong—products underperform or overheat, and suddenly margins vanish under labor, reorders, and refunds.

Solution — Use this 5-point checklist to define what 5050 actually means, evaluate brighter alternatives, measure real lumens, configure optics, and lock in RFQ language.

Fragment — 26 words

Insert this checklist into RFQs, and each XGM reel—be it RGB strip or white flood—delivers precise brightness, managed heat, and minimal support calls.

Understanding “5050”

The term “5050” only defines a 5.0×5.0 mm SMD package. Performance depends on the die inside, not the shell. Common variants:

Tridie RGB: three ~350 µm chips, 20 mA each—used in dense pixels and displays

Singledie White: one ~1.1 mm chip, 60–120 mA—requires proper copper thermal backing

Dualdie CCT: two ~0.6 mm chips (warm + cool), 25–35 mA per side—ideal for tunable lighting

XGM’s 15-year track record surfaces three failure points when users don’t peel back this assumption:

RGB shipped instead of white—lux expectations unmet

White chips on FR4 boards—heat causes early drift

Lab lm/W figures quoted for installations running 45 °C

The sections below provide Buyer-ready snippet text, image slots for quality proof, and deeper RFQ language for you to paste into SOPs.

1 ▸ What Does “5050 LED” Actually Mean?

5050 names size—not specs. Always confirm if it's RGB, White, or CCT before quoting or ordering.

Tridie RGB mounts three chips; typical forward voltages ~2.1 V (red), ~3.2 V (green/blue), 18–20 mA/channel. Singlewhite uses one large die; effective but needs thermal design. DualCCT offers smooth color tuning from 2700 K to 6500 K in one strip.

RFQ clause to copy:

Specify 5050 package with explicit die map: select 3×RGB / 1×White / 2×CCT.

Set thermal resistance: RGB ≤15 K/W, white ≤10 K/W.

Require bin specs: white ≤3-step MacAdam, RGB wavelength spread <2 nm.

Request silicone lens, LM80 data, stresstest CSVs (85/85, H₂S, thermal cycling), plus Xray per reel and IATF16949 export controls.

This shields you from mislabeled or off-spec reels hitting your docks.

2 ▸ Is Something Brighter than 5050?

For bright white outputs, flipchip 2835 LEDs deliver up to 185 lm/W, far outperforming white 5050, unless RGB density matters more.

LED Type lm/W PCB Required Cost/klm (~80 CRI)

2835 flipchip 175–185 2oz FR4 $0.85–$0.90

3030 midpower 165–175 MCPCB $0.92–$0.98

5050 white 130–145 MCPCB $1.05–$1.10

2835 uses shorter path and better slug cooling (~2.4 K/W), whereas many white 5050 designs thermally drag (~3.5 K/W).

Example: NYC retail strips swapped white 5050s for XGM 2835 tape. Results:

Board temp dropped from 54 °C to 46 °C

Field efficacy improved from 138 to 176 lm/W

Flicker index fell from 0.22 to 0.07

Service calls reduced from 9 to 1 in 90 days

Still, RGB signage retained 5050 for pixel pitch—until 3535 pixels cost drops.

3 ▸ How Many Lumens Are You Actually Getting?

RGB maxes out around 95–100 lm at 20 mA/channel. White 5050 yields 45–50 lm at ~0.18 W—expect ~8–10% efficiency loss at 45 °C.

RGB channels: red ~25 lm, green ~60 lm, blue ~10 lm. White 5050 at 60 mA: ~28 lm; 100 mA: ~45 lm.

Heat punishes 5050: on 1oz board, 100 mA pushes board temp +25 °C.

Implement dual ambient testing: lamps run at 25 °C (lab) then at 45 °C (field). Quotes should show both. Buyers who did this reduced RMAs significantly. Tool: [45C-FLUX calc]. Drives over 120 mA are rarely worth it—better to add emitters or change package.

4 ▸ What’s the Beam Angle of a 5050 LED?

Standard silicone dome gives ~120° beam. Frost it to ~150° for wide wash or add an ~30° TIR for spotlight—but leave ~8 mm board clearance.

RGB benefits from broader 120° light for smooth color. Task / accent strips work better at 60°. For dark installations, use PMMA/TIR lenses with ~30°. Frosting softens blend but costs ~5% flux.

NARROW optics can expose color fringing when die gaps exceed ~0.4 mm. Always remeasure FWHM and Δu′v′ after lens add-ons. Ideal for galleries and signage.