Question 1

How well would this work for a HTPC?

Accepted Answer

I currently use this in a configuration that I use to run XBMC media center under Windows 8.1 on a regular bases. I have not had any issues or problems and have been able to seamlessly switch between my dual, howbeit different resolution and type desktop monitors and my roommates 1080p plasma. Graphics are great and this should more than easily handle your needs and some.  And any hardware support for playback should work without a hunch as well.  I would provide feedback from a Linux perspective as well but as of yet I have not been able to install it due to an unrelated issue. Also it should prove to be less cumbersome to set up versus say CPU + GPU combo as the current operating systems will detect it and configure themselves accordingly.

As a side note; the included on die GPU is of the Radeon 6000 series which should suffice just fine unless you have some need for GCN, then you would need to look to the recently released Kavari APUs based upon the Steamroller architecture. One item I have not as of yet tested is the HDMI audio out as I currently employ a combination HDMI to TV and SPDIF Toslink to receiver. (Until I eventually get a new receiver.)

Question 2

can this run assassins creed 4: black flag?

Accepted Answer

I personally do not own Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag. I am familiar with the game but have never played any of the installments in the series.

Ubisoft Support lists the following minimum pc system requirements: 
"Processor: ... or AMD Athlon II X4 620 @ 2.6 GHz...
Graphics: ... or AMD Radeon HD 4870 ..."

In comparison, the integrated GPU for the Richland series APU is based on the Radeon HD 6900 core and given proper system resources like I go into below, should by my understanding, be able to run the game, most likely in the mid settings rang or so. (Ultra would require a dedicated high-end GPU.)  There are ways to squeeze out more of the CPU and GPU but that involves overclocking and aftermarket coolers. (For sanity's sake...) I just stayed with the stock settings and tweaked the memory allocation to what I wanted and called it good. Oh and I also enabled "Cool & Quite" plus some custom settings for the pwm fan speed control to help keep noise down unless cooling is needed.

Wikipedia - AMD APU models:
Search: "List of AMD Accelerated Processing Unit microprocessors"

One to make sure of is if you choose this model or any other A series APU for that matter, make sure you give it proper system resource allocations in the UEFI/BIOS otherwise it will be running at the default settings. In my case I have 8 GB of system memory and I have 2 GB of that allocated to the GPU that is part of the APU.  So far every thing I have ran has ran smoothly. Blu-ray & DVD playback with hardware acceleration, League of Legends (No one of the more demanding games mind you... But I was also running XBMC media center and an online radio stream at the same time with no apparent lag so I can't complain there.) I have Starcraft II and have ran through the menus but I have not played any games with this install yet.

I can't say I have ever heard the stock cooler as of yet kick into high gear but that might just be due to not taxing it that much.

Glad I could be of help!

Question 3

What is the slot size available for a replacement video card which uses GPU acceleration?  Is it PCI Express 16?

Accepted Answer

The processor itself doesn't have a video slot. It's intended for an FM2 motherboard which can have any type of slot that it has. My board for example has a couple PCIe16 slots. The GPU is built into the chip in question, and the board just feeds that to the port on the motherboard.

The chip is AMD/Radeon so if you buy an ATI card they typically share the speed and you can get extra GPU acceleration with using an extra expansion slot. If you buy an nVidia card you can likewise turn off the on chip GPU.

In short, this is just a CPU and GPU chip. It doesn't have slots, or needs replacement video cards, or anything to do with PCIe16. It's a GPU on the CPU chip and works with the FM2 slot to do both your CPU stuff and be a GPU.

Question 4

What chipset does this processor have? Would it work with Hudson D2, D3 or D4 or Bolton D2, D3 or D4

Accepted Answer

This is a processor, it does not have a "chipset", motherboards have chipsets. This CPU is based on a FM2 socket, so any motherboard that supports an FM2 socket CPU should work. I selected an FM2 board with a AMD A88X (Bolton D4) chipset to go with this CPU. There are other options, but as long as you select a motherboard that matches or supports the same socket as the CPU you choose, your on the right track. I suggest more research into CPUs and motherboards. I do not mean to be a dick, but you have more to learn before making competent builds on your own. Best of luck.

Question 5

Can anyone suggest me a good motherboard compatible with this CPU? I want to move this out of my MSI 7778 Jasmine into another motherboard with an easier bios interface to work with.

Accepted Answer

Check out the ASRock FM2A88X-ITX+. FM2+ boards are backward compatible with Richland hardware so that would work. I have the older 85x board, which has a nice UEFI interface. Probably the most useful feature I've found is that if you are connected via ethernet to a DHCP network you can flash new firmware directly from the UEFI. I'm sure the newer board has the same features and more.

Note that if you are trying to overclock this chip you will likely end up being limited by the south bridge (scales with the base clock on unlocked APUs). I was not able to push the Hudson D4 very far and it is likely that the Bolton D4 isn't much different.

Question 6

Is there a replacement cooling fan for this processor?

Accepted Answer

Rosewill RCX-Z1 - CPU Cooler - Ball-Bearings for Long Life - Over 45,000 Hours of Service.

Question 7

Can this also be used as a laptop CPU? Im building a laptop, just asking.

Accepted Answer

If it matches the socket, but I wouldn't put a 65w CPU in a laptop

Question 8

Is this compatable as an upgrade to my  A-6 5400K for Gateway DX4380G-UW-308,it has a FM-2 socket and 300w power supply?Also can I use a 100w GPU w/o changing PS?
 Thank you kindly for any advice, Rudy

Accepted Answer

Rudy, 
what other devices (Hard Drives, etc.) do you have?
PS ratings are usually stated at max draw, not continuous.
Unless you're running just an SSD, I wouldn't advise it. 
It seems you're  planning to use this as a gaming machine.
Just a word of caution, I run a A8-6500 and occasionally
use it for light gaming and it runs very hot. I have had to add
a cooler and other case fans just to keep it in check.
Hope this helps

Question 9

Is the AMD Radeon HD 8570d graphics compatible with Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 which uses GPU acceleration?

Accepted Answer

compatible yes, but it wont handle Premiere pro on it own, at lest not at a reasonable  speed. You will want to get a dedicated GPU (graphics card).

Question 10

What are the specs on the included heatsink and fan? In particular, what is its total height, style of heatsink, size of fan etc.

Accepted Answer

Similar to any other one in same class made by AMD.
My advice regarding stock heat sink and fan unit is: forget it!
Why should you try to protect yours investment - CPU worth  50 , 100 or 200 bucks with stock unit worth 50C???
Yours best no worries solution is: ZALMAN CNPS7000C-AlCu

Brand	AMD
Series	A-Series APU
Name	A8-6500
Model	AD6500OKHLBOX

CPU Socket Type	Socket FM2
Core Name	Richland
# of Cores	Quad-Core
Operating Frequency	3.5 GHz
L2 Cache	4MB
Manufacturing Tech	32nm
Instruction Set	64-Bit
Integrated Memory Controller Speed	DDR3
Virtualization Technology Support	Yes
Integrated Graphics	AMD Radeon HD
Thermal Design Power	65W
Cooling Device	Heatsink and fan included

AMD A8-6500 - A-Series APU Richland Quad-Core 3.5 GHz Socket FM2 65W AMD Radeon HD Desktop Processor - AD6500OKHLBOX

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Item#: N82E16819113334