The dual-core Sandy Bridge laptops have arrived! Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Sony start shipping systems

If your eyes have been glued to Engadget this week, you've noticed that there have been quite a few new laptops unveiled. Sure, Samsung's rail-thin Series 9 stole a lot of the glory, but Dell and ASUS also rolled out a few new Intel Sandy Bridge systems. But something else big happened this week in the portable computer world -- a good number of the dual-core Sandy Bridge systems finally started shipping to you laptop-loving people. Wait, but didn't that happen back at CES? Not quite: while Intel announced the availability of Sandy Bridge back in January, it only started to ship its quad-core chips -- now all the dual-core Core i3, i5, and i7s are ready and so are the systems that house 'em. We've gathered a list of the rigs that are now up for order or hitting retailers. Hit that read more link for a breakdown, and start deciding if you need some fresh dual-core power in your life.

Dell

Dell launched two new systems this week -- the Inspiron R and Vostro -- but its new Latitudes are up for order as well.

• Inspirons Rs (14R, 15R, 17R) - Beyond the new chiclet keyboards and swappable lids, the new 14-, 15.6-, and 17.3-inch Inspiron Rs are available with a smattering of new Core i3, i5, and i7 processors. The 14 and 15 get AMD 6400M graphics options and the 17R has a NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M option. (Order pages: 14R, 15R)

• Latitude E5000 and E6000 - If you've been eyeing Dell's new Latitude E series ever since we got a closer look at the new business rugged machines last month, now is your chance. And it looks like there are plenty of deals to be had -- for instance, the E6420 starts at $699 and includes a Core i3-2310M processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 250GB hard drive. (Order page: E5000 and E6000)

HP

Remember the two consumer systems HP announced in February? You can grab 'em now.

• Pavilion dv6, d7 - HP's totally retooled its mainstream dv series with aluminum exteriors and chiclet keyboards without jacking up the price too much. For $799 you can get a 15.6-inch dv6 with a Core i5-2410M processor, 6GB of RAM, and a 640GB hard drive. Oh, and adding a AMD Radeon 6490M graphics card will only add $100 to the price. (Order pages: dv6, dv7)

• G-Series - For the most part HP's new budget mainstream systems don't actually use Intel's latest processors, but we figured we'd include the new G-series here since they did just become available. These come in a whole new rainbow of colors and $499 can buy you a 15.6-inch rig with a Core i3 processor and 320GB of storage. (Order pages: g4, g6, g7)

HP, we have one question left: where the heck is the refreshed Envy 14?!

Lenovo

• ThinkPad T420, T520 - Sure, Lenovo hasn't done all that much to the exteriors of its T Series, but there's lots of new tech inside the 14- and 15.6-inch business machines. The T420 has Core i3 and i5 options, while the T520 adds an i7 into the mix. Both are supposed to have NVIDIA graphics options, but unfortunately we're not seeing that choice at the moment. (Order pages: T420, T520)

Samsung

• Series 9 - We knew this one was coming, but now you can finally order up the Core i5-2537M-powered, duralumin laptop that weighs just 2.89 pounds. We'd suggest waiting on our review that's coming this week before you pull out the plastic! (Order pages: Series 9)

Sony

• VAIO C Series - Yes, we are aware those neon colored VAIO CA and CB series laptops can make your eyes bleed, but good news: it also comes in black! Both the 14.4- and 15.6-inch laptops are ready now with new Sandy Bridge Core i5 processors and AMD Radeon 6470M graphics. The $899 starting configuration doesn't include Blu-ray, but it only costs $70 to add the drive. (Order pages: VAIO C Series)