Raspberry Pi 4 for FPP

[Spankyty]

That is just YOUR perception because you touched it. Look at actual data on the FPP main screen. With the latest version, FPP displays the CPU Temp.

Mine is enclosed in a Red & White case, mounted in the garage at a 24C (75.2F) ambient. . . .without a heatsink or fan and running a sequence looped, my CPU is displayed at 55.5C peak. I wouldn't consider a heat sink until this number goes above 68C, and a fan above 72C. Just a matter of engineering. But with that said, If my garage ambient gets to 36C (97F) that may drive the CPU temp to my 85% factor, and I'll consider adding a heatsink.

I guess if you have a heatsink it won't hurt to add, I just feel it is not necessary for everyone to rush out and buy one.

Anything that gets hot I have issues with. It just scares me thinking it will break even though it's rated for 80.

[1pet2_9]

That is just YOUR perception because you touched it. Look at actual data on the FPP main screen. With the latest version, FPP displays the CPU Temp.

Mine is enclosed in a Red & White case, mounted in the garage at a 24C (75.2F) ambient. . . .without a heatsink or fan and running a sequence looped, my CPU is displayed at 55.5C peak. I wouldn't consider a heat sink until this number goes above 68C, and a fan above 72C. Just a matter of engineering. But with that said, If my garage ambient gets to 36C (97F) that may drive the CPU temp to my 85% factor, and I'll consider adding a heatsink.

I guess if you have a heatsink it won't hurt to add, I just feel it is not necessary for everyone to rush out and buy one.

Heat sinks only cost a whopping $4 to add, and take 20 seconds to install. But I've got the bricked Pi 4 in my lab to prove it, that didn't even make it through one night running lights. Sometimes people do dumb stuff and get away with it, sometimes they don't, but the Pi4's need heat sinks. If you feel you know better, feel free to log onto the forums at lightshowpi.org and enlighten everybody.

[MartinMueller2003]

heatsinks are a very inexpensive insurance policy. i put them on all my cpus as a matter of policy.

[mrGrumpy]

Heat sinks only cost a whopping $4 to add, and take 20 seconds to install. But I've got the bricked Pi 4 in my lab to prove it, that didn't even make it through one night running lights. Sometimes people do dumb stuff and get away with it, sometimes they don't, but the Pi4's need heat sinks. If you feel you know better, feel free to log onto the forums at lightshowpi.org and enlighten everybody.

Hey, if you bricked a Pi4 running lights, then heat on the CPU isn't the issue. Processing data for lights does not drive extreme heat. . . you have other issues that caused the failure.

Last 4 of July I ran a week long small show in 90-100 degree F Heat. The Pi 4 did fine, and is still running. However after these comments, 100F ambient is a little much to risk the Pi4 - I will heat sink and temp switch a fan for those hotter days.

[MikeKrebs]

But I've got the bricked Pi 4 in my lab to prove it, that didn't even make it through one night running lights.

You were running FPP? Where are you located? What were the environmental conditions of install?