Question 1

Not familiar with APU so can I still use my GTX 570 instead of this builtin video?

Accepted Answer

Yes you can, I have the AMD A8 5600K CPU/APU AND I also have a separate Video card...just don't load the driver off the MoBo CD/DVD

Question 2

Is CPU cooling fan included?

Accepted Answer

If you look at the specification page for this item, down at the bottom, you will find "Heatsink and fan included" in the line for "Cooling Device".

Also, since this is a boxed processor and is not particularly high-end or a special "Black" or "Extreme" edition part, it is almost a given that AMD or Intel will include a basic but adequate cooling device. A basic heatsink/fan like this one will work in most mainstream applications but may not be enough for cases with airflow problems or if you attempt to overclock your processor.

Question 3

I bought a 500w PSU. will it be enough to power this processor plus a motherboard and graphics card?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Enough for you. Because my PSU is 420w. I have AMD A8-5600K. other same like yours, The PSU only a little warm. Do not worry about it !

Question 4

does it include a fan with the card?

Accepted Answer

No....I still have not installed one yet and still works as good as when I bought it

Question 5

Is this hard to install?

Accepted Answer

No, it's not hard at all to install. Just follow the instructions and make sure you have it oriented the right way .... it only fits one way & it will drop right in like a square peg in a square hole. Then lower and secure the bar.

Remove the plastic sheet covering the thermal paste and attach the heat sink. Plug in the fan and all done. Don't touch the thermal paste even though it's tempting.

Question 6

Is this processor compatible with this GIGABYTE GA-970A-UD3P motherboard?

Accepted Answer

No.  This processor is a socket FM2 the GA-970A-UD3P is an AM3+ you either need a FM2 compatible motherboard or an AM3+ processor.  Note, that the AM3+ processor does not have on board graphics, so you will need a discrete graphics card.

Question 7

Im building a costume pc mainly for Buseiness, however i do use some editing software and i would say the most consuming in graphics would be photoshop, im not looking for any special crazy graphics i just wanted it to run it nicely... is this a good choice for the price?

Accepted Answer

Yes it is a great choice! However, you well want to get a decent motherboard too (consider a Microstar A75 or A85 series as good examples) and also consider getting an add-on graphics card as well as at least 8 Gigabytes of memory. The graphics card doesn't need to be to of the line; a $75 Nvidia card will work great. Then your computer will be very happy to easily run those apps.  Hope that helps!

Dave

Question 8

Chris M:
Is the AMD A8-5600K processor compatible with an ASUS A85XM-A motherboard?  Im thinking about buying the two together.
Thanks for your help.

Accepted Answer

If the Board you buy has the correct BIOS is will work, if not you will have to flash the BIOS, according to my search at asus website.
do a search with these terms (AMD A8-5600K processor compatible with an ASUS A85XM-A) and look for (CPU Support (A85XM-A) [Official Site - Master Page] - ASUS Support)
you will see your CPU listed about 1/2 way down. 
best of luck with your setup :)
"If your motherboard BIOS version number is greater than 0402, then you will not need to flash your BIOS. However, if your BIOS version is smaller than 0402, then you will need to select and download the latest BIOS to update your system. We kindly remind you that there is a certain risk level involved in BIOS flashing"

Question 9

What is the onboard graphics output resolution? I own this processor, I just can't seem to find this information. I need it for a research paper for school

Accepted Answer

It depends on your memory dedicated to graphics in BIOS (use 512k Shared Ram) .  I have set it to auto setting and have monitor with resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and have no problems with it.

Question 10

hi so i have a laptop thats running an amd-a4 3300 m with radeon i was wondering would this work with my laptop?

Accepted Answer

No, or at least not likely. Laptops use different form factors for the CPU, made to allow flow soldering the chip to the board (called surface mount technology). You will never be able to unsolder a surface-mounted cpu and solder another back in...don't even think about it. This CPU you're considering has pins, and is meant to be in a socket (not soldered)...if your laptop has such a socket it will work, but I'd be entirely surprised if it does...take it apart to see (or find the manual online). You might be able to find a mobo for your laptop with a faster cpu, but that's also not likely. See this:

Do a search for laptop cpu upgrade...Tom's hardware has some good info.

My recommendation: buy components and do a build...upgrades are easy, and can be done piecemeal. Figure out your software first though (doesn't come with build components).

Questions & Answers