Intel has announced its new generation chip, code-named “Ivy Bridge”, with 22-nanometer-sized. PCs with chips from its new generation of processors, featuring a revolutionary & sleek design, will be available this week. This new chip is the first to be made with a 3-D structure.
Miniature fins jut out of the plane of the chip, letting Intel cram more features into the same space. That means the chips can be faster while consuming less power. Analysts have called it one of the most significant developments in silicon transistor design since the integrated circuit was invented in the 1950s. In terms of manufacturing technology, it puts Intel two to three years ahead of the competition
The “Ivy Bridge” chips are the first to be made with 22-nanometer-sized features, down from 32 nanometers. Smaller features mean more transistors, or working parts, can be squeezed into the same area. That means a chip can be smaller and faster.
a huge Misperception in people minds specially in pakistan guys that there is not a big difference in second and third generation but i totally disagree with this point of view.
as i am salesman but what i studied on these processor, i came to know on this point that difference is same as between P4 and P5.
five major difference in second and third generation
not a big one but still it’s different 
second generation processors are called sandy bridge while third generation processors are called Ivy bridge.
1. name difference
2. difference in combination of transistor, sandy bridge processor is combination of 995 million transistor while ivy is of 1.4 Billion , i think 405 million new transistor is a big difference.
3. sandy bridge processor are design on 32nm( trigate processor uses three gates wrapped around the silicon channel in a 3-D structure) architecture while ivy design is totally different based on 22nm (3d transistor in a higg volume logic process)
4. ivy bridge processor eliminate the heat up problem which we have seen in many laptops of core i5 and core i7 processors.
now in ivy processor the power consumption is reduce to 77W from 95W.
which is also a big difference .
5. ivy bridge processor support HD4000 videos while sandy only support HD 3000.
still there are many more differences in these two generation.
So i think people should buy new third generation processor rather than to waste their money on old technology