Haswell Processor Spotted with GT3e IGP and eDRAM
VR-Zone has spotted a BGA socket Haswell processor fitting the description of the rumored GT3e "Crystal Well" integrated graphics processor at IDF 2013.
VR-Zone has spotted what appears to be an Intel Haswell processor fitted with a GT3e "Crystal Well" integrated video processor (IGP), a special variant of the GT3 that includes a form of L4 cache memory known as embedded DRAM (eDRAM) that is intended to compete with chips such as Nvidia's GeForce GT 650M. Though the size of the eDRAM is presently unknown, we've so far heard reports from Fudzilla that suggests a 64 MB L4 cache and Hardware.info that places it at either 64 MB or 128 MB.
The GT3e IGP will feature the same 40 GPU cores as seen on the GT3, so it can be expected to deliver roughly twice the performance of Intel's current HD 4000 series graphics cards. According to VR-Zone, it will only be available soldered onto BGA socket "performance" processors intended for quad-core 55W notebooks and All-In-One desktops.
Space is relative. Not having a discrete GPU still saves PCB space, parts count, power and the need to accommodate another thermal load.
As long as GT3e is priced right and performs reasonably well when compared against whatever discrete solution that could fit within GT3e's power and price premium, it is a win-win for people who want a reasonably capable laptop/AiO but are not particularly interested in discrete graphics... and I suspect this category has a much larger potential customer base than enthusiast-oriented setups.
Since most PCs and laptops are not used for gaming, GT3e will at the very least substantially raise the bar on what IGPs are good-enough for.
Looking at this GT3e demo:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6600/intel-haswell-gt3e-gpu-performance-compared-to-nvidias-geforce-gt-650m
Seems like GT3e will be good enough for a fair amount of gaming.