NobleForums

I went from the stock clear 35w H8 (rated at 800 lumens) to the GP Thunder 35w 7500k H8 bulb:



The stocks were noticably brighter, but the GP Thunder bulbs were definitely a better match to the color of the HID.

Wanting to get more brightness while keeping the white color of the GP Thunder bulbs, I decided to try some 50w H8 "super white" bulbs.



These bulbs had a pretty similar tint to them compared to the 7500k GP Thunders. The filament coil was thicker than the GP Thunder, which makes sense with the higher wattage. 50w "super white" on the left, 35w GP Thunder 7500k on the right:



Contrary to expectations, there were no errors messages despite the increased wattage. I haven't had them in for that long though, so maybe something will show up down the line.

However, the brightness wasn't any different, at least not to the naked eye. Also, the color seemed more yellow than the GP Thunder bulbs. 50w on right, GP Thunder on left:



It looks like the GP Thunder 7500k is still a better choice, though again, they're dimmer than stock. Though I've seen the GP Thunders rated at 700-750 lumens, I would personally guess their real output to be somewhat below this. It's hard to guage with the naked eye, since the human eye perceives brightness on a somewhat logarithmic scale. I'd be very surprised if they put out more than 600 or so lumens though.

The search continues...

Gene

thanx for sharing your findings...GL

radzM

I have a 06 M5 and been wanting to upgrade the AE's to a whiter/brighter one, which one do you guys recommend? Thanks!

Gene

AiB v3 IMO...

NobleForums

I just picked up a set of Osram Nightbreaker H11 bulbs to try, since the 50w above didn't throw a code.

As you guys probably already know, the H11 bulb is not keyed all that differently from the stock H8 bulb we use. However, it's 55w vs the normal 35w.

The Osram Nightbreaker is a +90 bulb. It's high efficiency bulb much like the Philips Xtreme Power. In theory, it's supposed to give up to 90% more light at the standard wattage, but in practice, I think they probably increase the output maybe 30% or so.

Here are the ratings for standard efficiency clear bulbs:

H8: 712-800 lumens
H11: 1100-1200 lumens

I'm guessing this Osram +90 should be right about 1500-1600 lumen or so at most, so roughly 2x the light output of our stock H8 bulbs. They're also 10% "whiter", so they won't be as white as the blub bulbs, but they'll be less yellow than the stock.

Here is the bulb:



A comparison of the different bulbs. From left to right:

Osram Nightbreaker +90 55w H11, no-name brand 50w H8, GP Thunder 35w 7500k H8, and the stock Osram 35w H8 bulb that came with the BMW:



A look at the bulbs themselves. Same order as above. As you can see, the 50w no-name bulb's tip coating is already starting to flake off, with less than a few hours of total usage. Terrible.



The H11 is physically keyed differently than the H8, but the difference is minor. You can see where one of its tabs is a bit wider, as shown by the green arrow.

Osram Nightbreaker H11 is on the right side of this picture, H8 is on the left:



Here it is with the extra bit of the tab nibbled off with a simple set of cut pliers. H11 is on the left this time (sorry, switched em during the photograph):




I still need to drive around with them to see if they throw a code. From the initial install, I can see that they're easily brighter than the stock clear H8 bulb and a bit more white. This makes them way brighter than the GP Thunder H8 bulbs.

If it doesn't throw a code, that may mean the GP Thunder H11 bulbs may work for those wanting a really white light but want more output than the GP Thunder H8 give.

Will update more after more testing.

Gene

nice, thanx for sharing the info...GL

NobleForums

So far, nice and bright, and no errors.

Pauken4

I had read somewhere here that using a 55W bulb in your AE's causes heat problems and melts the housings.

Please share your experience over time wit the H11's.

poleposition

True. These 55W bulbs will eventually melt the housing and cause you to spend lots of $. They run much hotter than the 35W but arent that much brighter. I hope you dont find out the hard way but unfortunately, its inevitable. May not happen today, tomorrow or next week but rest assured, it will happen

All the best

Dav530d

What about people that have HID kit in them? don't they melt the housing?