The terms Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge refer to lines of Intel Processors. These lines of computer processors are also termed as architectures.
Sandy Bridge
Intel introduced Sandy Bridge at the start of 2011. Sandy Bridge replaces the Nehalem architecture.
- 32 nanometer manufacturing process
- planar double-gate transistors
Ivy Bridge
Intel introduced Ivy Bridge in 2012 to replace the Sandy Bridge architecture. Ivy Bridge processors are backwards compatible with the Sandy Bridge platform, but such systems might require a firmware update.
- 22 nanometer manufacturing process
- FinFET ("3D") tri-gate transistors
The Ivy Bridge CPU microarchitecture is a shrink from Sandy Bridge and remains largely unchanged. The new tri-gate transistors reduce power consumption by half while offering the same performance level as 2-D planar transistors.
comparison
Ivy Bridge uses the Sandy Bridge architecture. Most of the changes involve power consumption reduction and size. The processing die has been reduced in size from 32nm to 22nm. In order to achieve the reduction in size, Intel developed a new kind of 3D "Tri-Gate" transistor. Additional advancements include support for PCI Express (PCIe) 3.0 and DDR3L (low-voltage) memory, and better integrated graphics, the latter being a consideration for MythTV for Linux small system builders.
Ivy Bridge offers a nominal speed increase over Sandy Bridge, but not enough to get the attention of most users. The bigger news is the increase in graphics power. Ivy Bridge chips directly support DirectX 11 functionality, and an overall frame-rate increase.
Backwards compatibility is also worth noting since it is not something Intel is typically known for. Sandy Bridge processors will work in Ivy Bridge motherboards. You can also use an Ivy Bridge processor in a Sandy Bridge motherboard after installing a firmware upgrade. The firmware upgrade you will have to get from the manufacturer of the motherbaord. Still, it is recommended to use a motherbaord designed for Ivy Bridge if you plan to build a new system with that processor.