Graphics Card Question

HOLD IT! You both missed a big issue here, this is a APU. A APU is made for tablets, netbooks, etc. LIGHT duty BASIC devices. Pairing this video card to it will NOT improve gaming or such, the APU will keep choking the data before it can get near the GPU. This computer was made to light stuff, surf webpages, get email or such for grandma and that is IT. It would help playing movies or Farmville, but nothing more taxing then webbased games.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD_Accelerated_Processing_Unit

I am sorry I must say you're wrong. A A8-6500 is a APU, APUs are made as contenders for tablets, notepads, and other 'light computing devices' by building the GPU INTO the CPU. These newer APUs perform 'better' for old games like Tomb Raider, when compared to Intel Integrated Graphic, but that is a comparison in gaming terms like comparing which is faster a snail or a small turtle? Yeah one will be faster but really who cares when we are talking numbers like in Metro Last Light on LOW GRAPHICS (1280x800!!!) settings in the 30s and below?

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/amd-a10-a8...
http://www.legitreviews.com/amd-a10-6800k-and-a10-6700-...
http://www.overclockers.com/amd-richland-a106800k-apu-r...

***NOTE: LOOK CAREFULLY at the numbers and details DO NOT BE FOOLED by the 'length of the line' as a measurement****

Your APU will NOT be able to handle BF4, Ghosts and "Newer" games AT ALL. BF4 is VERY CPU intensive (for example), requiring real dedicated Quad Core CPU (minimum) then handed off to a dedicated GPU. A APU is compared to Integrated GPUs for a very good reason.

Here is even more specific http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Radeon-HD-8570D.96587.0.html (The 'GPU' inside the CPU)

Metro: Last Light (2013)
low: 33.8 fps <<< AS I SAID "we are talking numbers like in Metro Last Light...in the 30s and below"
Compare mode.: 25.6 fps
Compare high: 12.5 fps
Compare ultra: 6.3 fps
» The benchmarks indicate that the game is not playable in the tested settings.

Assassin´s Creed IV: Black Flag (2013)
low: 34.8 fps
Compare med.: 25.4 fps
Compare high: 12.8 fps
Compare » The benchmarks indicate that the game is not playable in the tested settings.

Need for Speed: Rivals (2013): Not playable with a weaker graphics card. - more...

Batman: Arkham Origins (2013)
low: 64 fps
Compare med.: 37 fps
Compare high: 21 fps
Compare ultra: 10 fps
Compare » With all tested laptops playable in detail settings med..

Battlefield 4Battlefield 4 (2013)
low: 37 fps
Compare med.: 26.5 fps
Compare high: 17.8 fps
Compare ultra: 6.2 fps
Compare » With all tested laptops playable in detail settings low.

All these results are using the APU integrated graphics.
Of course this is rubbish for games, just like Intel integrated graphics.
Once you add a graphics card, the integrated graphics of the CPU or APU are irrelevant.

Sorry you are VERY incorrect. The old thought 'games ONLY use GPU' is false. Basic computing 101:
Data code is stored (HDD) to then be pass/read (RAM) in chunks (not full loading at once) to be processed (CPU) to decide what component (Printer, GPU, Sound, NIC, etc.) needs to do with the code (Print text, render a Jeep, make shotgun sound, etc.).

So if you have a slow HDD (5400RPM) data take longer to read. If you have slow timing (9-9-9-7) or lower end RAM (DDR2) it takes more pass/reads pass/reads pass/read pass/reads to give a the right size 'chunk' of code to the CPU. If your CPU is not able to 'read' the RAM fast enough to then figureout (process) what to do with the code (uhmm ummmm mmm OH pass it to the GPU, okay). THAT is ALL before even talking to the GPU whichis constantly twiddling thumbs.

So the CPU is VERY relevant and ANY and ALL 'professionals' have written REPEATEDLY that BF4 (among other games) is CPU intensive, and the numbers prove the CPUs are working AS HARD as the GPU, but if you do not match the proper CPU to the GPU (say put a R9 with a i3) the CPU will choke and bottleneck the performance, as when you compare to another CPU (say i7 and the same R9 on the exact same PC) will 'magically' do alot better (no bottleneck).

Lastly "Once you add a graphics card, the integrated graphics of the ... APU are irrelevant." NOT TRUE. When you 'disable integrated graphics' in BIOS, your telling the MOBO to 'shut down the highway' to the IG ON the MOBO and instead use the 'highway' to the GPU when the CPU says "this needs to be rendered by video" and goes to send the data. Kind of impossible with a APU since the APU CHIP itself IS a CPU AND GPU on the same platter, meaning that right next to and directly WIRED to the CPU is the GPU. Integrated Graphics from Intel are ON THE MOBO, NOT inside the Intel CPU, BIG difference.

.....
Core i3, i5 and i7 with the exception of a few models all have graphics integrated into the CPU.
Of course if the CPU is not fast enough it will limit performance.
You don't need to disable the integrated graphics in the BIOS, simply plug in a graphics card and the integrated video will not be used.
....

Okay hold it. When speaking as I have been I was talking about current and older systems, which you are completely wrong, Intel CPUs do NOT have "graphics integrated into the CPU", especially for iCore http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/core/core-i3-processor.html

Now as of the brand new released Haswell chipset, which eliminated the Northbridge and now uses a brand new Intel HD design (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_HD_Graphics) which places the IG on the CPU as your indicating. This again, on BRAND NEW most expensive (seen the prices of Haswell iCores?) system, which I wasn't even suggesting to do.

That said, the Intel HD is not the same thing as the APU design, which was and has always been stated to targer 'Low end product lines" on the PC side, like tablets, notepads, etc. that maximizing power (not about performance) usage was the key thing, and these chips excel. Now with the new 'ultrabook' also wanting BOTH performance (iCore) and long power life (Intel HD) this solution is for those sorts of product lines that sell 3 to 1 (laptops still outsell desktops), but again this is HIGH END expensive systems we are talking about, a different market portion. APPLE VS ORANGES.

Back to the OP point, just 'plugging in' the video card will help yes, but will is 'auto disable' the APU, no, it will do the same thing as some of the others, which is when working on Word, Chrome, etc. you use the APU, then games it MAY properly switch over. The BEST solution to ensure ALWAYS using the GPU on mobos with IG is to BIOS Disable the IG forcing it to ALWAYS use the GPU.

Even with the GPU being used, will not over compensate for the low performance of the APU. The OP did not ask 'in general what gaming performance', but was VERY SPECIFIC " Battlefield 4 on high settings at 50-60 fps". The answer is STILL NO. Because BF4 NEED/DEMANDS CPU power AS WELL as GPU. The ONLY systems achieving that level, per EVERY chart I can show you is Sandy/IVY i7, i5 (of course Haswell but no one can afford those in comparision) and high end AMDs (8350s for example).