You can run QBs just a few inches from the canopy if you dim them some. At nominal wattage, I usually have mine about 18-20 inches above canopy. They could be closer, but I like to have room to tend my scrog. I’ve never seen any burn or damage to plants with QBs, the worst I’ve seen is newly introduced plants drooping at the end of the day when their DLI gets maxed.
I don’t have temp numbers for strips vs boards, but they’re both just diodes on aluminum. If the diodes are the same and the spacing is similar, then I would think the temps would be comparable.