A:Answer Hi-
There isn't much heat generated from this set, not like the older back-lit LED panels. My old LG ran quite warm, but this runs very cool.
The best way to determine if you need to cut a hole in the back of the cabinet is to set it in there and run it for an hour. Check the temperature- if it's just a little higher than ambient, you should be OK. If it feels too warm, then cut your hole in the cabinet.