Sandy Bridge
Sandy Bridge is a codename for a type of processor developed by Intel. The first Sandy Bridge processor was released on January 9, 2011. Also in development is a 22 nanometer (nm) version of the Sandy Bridge processor, known as Ivy Bridge. The primary advantages of the Sandy Bridge is a 17% better performance when compared to the Lynnfield processor (previous version of Core i5 and i7 processors and Xeon processors), also developed by Intel and originally released in September 2009. It also features about twice the integrated graphics performance when compared to Clarkdale's processors (another previous version of Core i3 and i5 processors).
The newest Core i3, i5 and i7 processors are Sandy Bridge processors, featuring dual core, quad core and even six core capabilities. Sandy Bridge processors use the LGA 1155 socket type.
Also see: Motherboard definitions, Processor definitions