The Size of LED Chip: Do You Really Understand?

When you search for the LED headlight bulbs on Google, or other internet, you’ll find these numbers very familiar: 1860, 3570, 3055, 3575, 5530, 5585, 7545. But are you confused by all these seemingly random numbers? It seems every product claims to be the best, the strongest, the brightest…

So, how exactly do we learn about the different LED Chip between different LED bulbs?

As a factory with 21 years of automotive lighting manufacturing experience, we often hear from customers: “Why are your LED headlights more expensive than others?” However, we also encountered a more technical question: “I see other LED headlight suppliers advertising 3570 and 5585 LED chip, much larger than yours. Why are yours so small? Did you cut corners?”

Every time we hear this question, we want to ask in return: “The Size of LED Chip: Do You Really Understand?”

Today, I will thoroughly explain the LED chip size from a factory perspective:

• What do the numbers 1860, 3570, and 5585 actually mean?
• What is mil, and why does it matter more?
• How do you make the right choice when purchasing?

What Do 1860, 3570, and 5585 Actually Mean?

Let’s clear up the biggest misconception first.

These numbers refer to the dimensions of the LED substrate (the circuit board base), NOT the light-emitting chip itself.

Chip Model	Width	Length	Meaning
1860	1.8mm	6.0mm	Circuit board 1.8mm wide, 6.0mm long
3570	3.5mm	7.0mm	Circuit board 3.5mm wide, 7.0mm long
4575	4.5mm	7.5mm	Circuit board 4.5mm wide, 7.5mm long
5585	5.5mm	8.5mm	Circuit board 5.5mm wide, 8.5mm long

Common Misconception:

Many buyers and car owners have a simplistic understanding: the higher the number on the chip, the brighter it is, and the better. This idea sounds reasonable, but in the field of LED technology, it is not entirely correct.

What is LED Chip Size?

• Real LED Chip Size: Measured in “mil”

The true performance of an LED chip is determined by the size of its light-emitting area, which is measured in mils (1 mil = 1/1000 inch).

Common chip sizes in automotive LED headlights include:

LED Chip Size (mil)	Equivalent (mm)	Power Level
43 mil	≈ 1.09mm	Mid-range
45 mil	≈ 1.14mm	Mid-range
50 mil	≈ 1.27mm	Mid-high
55 mil	≈ 1.40mm	High-power
70 mil	≈ 1.78mm	Ultra-high
75 mil	≈ 1.91mm	Premium
80 mil	≈ 2.03mm	Flagship

Key Point:

The LED chip is the core factor affecting brightness! A larger mil number means a larger chip area, higher power, and higher brightness! This is the real core metric for judging LED headlight brightness.

• Don’t confuse “LED chip size” with “LED Chip Model.”

1860/3570/5585 = Chip Model(circuit board size)

43mil/55 mil/80 mil = chip size

Concept	Meaning	Examples
LED Chip Size	The actual size of the LED light-emitting core is usually expressed in mils.	43mil、55mil
LED Chip Model	The overall size of a chip, including its casing and pins, is usually expressed in mm.	5050（5.0×5.0mm）、2835（2.8×3.5mm）

Why Does LED Chip Size Matter?

The LED chip is the heart of a car headlight. The material and size directly determine the luminous efficacy and stability of the LED Headlight. The larger the chip, the higher the current it can handle, and the higher the brightness.

High-quality LED chips not only have high initial brightness but also slow light decay, ensuring the LED headlight maintains good performance even after long-term use.

If you still don’t understand, let me give you an example:

As the above mentioned, we’re often asked by customers, “Other companies’ 3570 chips look bigger than yours, so why are yours more expensive?”

The key point here is: 3570 refers to the overall size of the circuit board (casing), while mil refers to the size of the light-emitting core (the heart of the LED chip).

Other companies’ 3570 chips may use three small mil chips, resulting in a large casing but a small light-emitting core;

Our 3570—also called 3570, but it uses large mil, high-power chips, making the light-emitting core larger and brighter.

Therefore, judging brightness just by the “3570” designation is inaccurate.

What truly determines brightness is the mil number of the chip, not the circuit board model. This is why AKE dares to achieve “high brightness” with a “small casing.”

Common Chip Model & Chip Size Combinations: A Quick Reference

Based on the knowledge of “LED chip models” and “LED chip sizes” above, the common matching methods in the industry are as follows:

Chip Model	Common Chip Configuration	Single‑Chip Power	Total Lamp Power	Market Position
1860	3×43 mil / 3×45 mil / 3×55 mil	≤15W	~30W	Entry‑level, lower power
3570	3×55 mil (essentially similar to 1860)	Low‑Medium	Low‑Medium	Low‑end (trick configuration)
3570	3×70 mil / 3×80 mil	20‑25W	40‑50W	Mid-to-high-end, mainstream trend
3570	6×43 mil / 6×45 mil / 8×55 mil	20‑25W	40‑50W	Mid-to-high-end, mainstream trend
4575	6×77 mil	30‑35W	60‑70W	High‑end, high brightness
5585	6×80 mil	30‑35W	60‑70W	Top‑tier, “blindingly bright”

Currently, the 3570 LED chip is the most widely used and mainstream LED in mid-to-high-end automotive lights. Also, AKE factory’s LED headlights use this type of chip quite often.

How to Choose LED Chip? – A Sourcing Decision Guide

• Remember one golden rule:

Large chip model + large chip size = high power = high brightness.

But “large” doesn’t mean “blindly chase the biggest” – if you’re looking for your business, you need to balance brightness, beam pattern, heat dissipation, and cost.

Your Product Positioning	Recommended Chip Model & Chip Configuration	Reason
Entry‑level / Budget	1860 + 3×43‑45 mil	Cost‑effective, sufficient brightness
Mid‑range / Best Value	3570 + 3×70/80 mil or 6‑8×55 mil	Sweet spot between brightness and price
High‑end / Performance	3570 + 8×55 mil or 3×80 mil	High brightness, excellent beam pattern
Premium / Extreme Brightness	4575 / 5585 + 6×77/80 mil	Maximum brightness, premium price

AKE High-Power LED Headlight Bulbs Recommend

AKE K13 DUAL-COLOR LED Headlight Bulb

Equipped with 4575 Bi-Color 6-Core 75 MIL large-size flip chip, AKE K13 dual color LED headlight bulbs are designed to deliver a high brightness of 130W, 13000LM per set.

Additionally, we offer three-color app-controlled LED headlight bulbs.

AKE K20 LED Headlight Bulb

The AKE K20 LED headlights feature 4675 12-core large-size flip-chip technology, providing 240W and 24,000LM of high brightness per set.

These high-quality flip-chips also offer focused illumination and a uniform beam, giving drivers a wider and farther field of vision.

The 6500K color temperature provides a more stable cool white light, resulting in clearer illumination and ensuring driving safety, making it an ideal replacement for original halogen bulbs.

Conclusion

The core of the scam in the LED headlight industry lies in deliberately confusing concepts and exaggerating sizes. Hopefully, this blog will help you understand the situation clearly and avoid being misled by “oversized chips.”

AKE factory insists on using genuine 75-90mil flip chips (if you want to learn more about Best LED Headlight Chips in 2026, watch this blog), coupled with a mature heat dissipation system, and only produces products that can withstand the test of time.

What LED chip size is used in your current LED headlight?