Thanks ChipGeek. I would also like to add that the IVR does little to reduce actual power consumption, as far as I know. In fact, the IVR might actually be a little less efficient than external VRs.
But it is indeed a solution for lower BOM, i.e. fewer parts on the motherboard, which translates to slightly lower costs for OEMs.
As for Skylake, I have some insight in the server version of it, and my understanding is that the IVR might not be in that CPU. That's for reasons that I won't go into, but for servers, having an IVR may not be worth it. I have no idea whether it will be in for the client version of Skylake.
The thrash between whether to have an IVR or not may go over well with OEMs. Some of that could get leaked to the media, and that could especially reach analysts who will jump to conclusions based on those rumors.
But as far as I know, this isn't an issue that anyone ought to be worked up about. Issues like these will bound to pop up as Intel tries to have its cake and eat it too. That's the nature of pushing the envelope of performance, power, and cost.
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