Hey guys! Let's be honest: Who among us does not want a system that simply rast? This is where CachyOS comes into play. If you or you have heard of the famous Arch Linux, you know how fast and up-to-date this can be. CachyOS takes this lightning-fast foundation and lays another Massive turbo on it!
The hype is real: CachyOS and the Schwuppdicity
CachyOS is currently in the midst of hype. You may have heard it: The distribution is loud DistroWatch even managed for a short time to conquer number 1 of the most popular Linux distributions (before the eternal champion Mint)! (Even if DistroWatch only measures clicks, not installations – attention is huge!)
Why the whirl? Because CachyOS consistently Reaction speed (“difficulty”) is trimmed. Here, each screw was turned to prevent any delay.
- Installation speed madness: You You won't believe it, but installing large programs can only take seconds! Software such as Thunderbird is installed in a little more than a second, even the huge BlenderPackage is ready to start in under 20 seconds. This is also due to the fast Arch package management, but CachyOS also optimizes here with tricks such as opening 10 parallel download connections.
- The simple Arch entry: CachyOS is based on Arch, but the infamous installation torture is eliminated. Thanks to the graphical installer Calamares The setup is done quickly and easily. In addition, CachyOS offers a welcome menu simple package installer for the most common apps – although the many different package managers (installer, octopi, console) for Linux novices can be a bit confusing.
The secret of speed: BORE and AVX512
The magic of CachyOS lies deep inside, more precisely in the kernel. This is not the standard kernel that you Find it everywhere. Here everything is trimmed to performance.
1. The BORE Scheduler – Focus on you!
The most important tuning step is the use of the BORE Schedulers (B-O-R-E). Normally, Linux kernels try to treat all processes ‘fairly’, which is good for servers. BORE, on the other hand, is deliberately ‘unfair’:
- Priority for interaction: BORE prioritizes all interactive activities (Moving windows, mouse clicks, in-game actions) tough. This ensures that the system always Feels fluid.
- The compromise: Longer background tasks (such as a render job) get fewer resources ripped off and, in case of doubt, take a little longer. But the main thing, your Direct work feels fast!
Architecture-optimized repositories
CachyOS goes the extra mile: It offers software specifically optimized for your CPU architecture. The desktop packages are compiled with LTO, x86-64-v3, x86-64-v4, and Zen-4 optimizations.
For example, if you use a modern processor (such as AMD Zen 4 or certain Intel CPUs) that supports the AVX512 instruction set, CachyOS will automatically load custom programs to it. According to analyses of the Linux website Phoronix, this can lead to significant performance increases (5-20) in some use cases. %) to achieve.
More than just a gaming OS: The comparison
CachyOS is often referred to as ‘game OS’, but is – like the c’t Magazine notes, in particular for: all Suitable for those looking for a super-fast, up-to-date Windows alternative.
| distribution | Advantage over CachyOS | CachyOS vs. [Distro] |
| Ubuntu / Mint | Higher stability (fixed release), official long-term support (LTS). | Much faster and more up-to-date. If you want the latest features and speed, you can use CachyOS. |
| Vanilla Arch | Greatest possible freedom and minimalism (if you get it done). | CachyOS offers the same topicality, but with easy installation and the Performance Kernel Out-of-the-box. |
| Windows 11 | Better driver support for Nvidia cards. | CachyOS shows in AI/CUDA applications (e.g. Ollama and Whisper) partly Significantly higher speeds (up to twice as fast!) and feels more fluid in everyday desktop life. |
Additional security measures
CachyOS brings a hardened Firefox fork called Cachy browser with, which offers additional safety features and optimized performance. Patches of the LibreWolf browser have also been integrated. However, it must be mentioned that choosing your own browser fork through a distribution is viewed critically – this is not necessarily a task of a distribution.
Gaming and more:
CachyOS is often referred to as ‘Games OS“ means, but is: As other tests show – especially suitable for those looking for a super-fast, up-to-date Windows alternative.
AI and CUDA Performance
Interesting findings from tests with Nvidia hardware:
- Ollama language models: 7-10 % Faster on CachyOS than Windows
- OpenAI Whisper: Almost twice as fast under CachyOS (same sound file, same settings)
These optimizations seem to be particularly relevant in the AI workload.
Attention: The Nvidia dilemma
Yes, all games you try usually run immediately (Steam, Lutris, Heroic etc. can be installed with one click). BUT: Pay attention to your graphics card. The following results were found in tests:
- AMD hardware: Gaming performance on Linux often better than on Windows
- Nvidia RTX: Performance due to the driver location may fall behind Windows (tests showed on an Nvidia RTX 4090 between 15-23 % less frames on Cyberpunk 2077, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Black Myth Wukong)
The problem is the Nvidia Linux driver, which is not as well optimized as the AMD driver.
What you should know about CachyOS
Desktop experience
The desktop (KDE Plasma as standard) looks impressive, with stylish details such as an appealing login screen and modern boot menu. The pre-installed Fish shell With autocomplete is a nice addition.
Additional tools
In addition to the standard tools, there are useful applications such as:
- CachyOS Kernel Manager – for managing installed kernels
- Btrfs Assistant – Btrfs partition management utility (Btrfs is the default file system)
- btop++ – Extended system monitor
- Alacritty – modern terminal emulator
- Meld – Graphical difference
Package management – a critical point
The coexistence of multiple package management systems can be confusing. Users need to know which application is responsible for updates and whether they affect each other. Here, distribution competition such as Mint is better solved with a unified software manager.
Who is CachyOS suitable for?
CachyOS is suitable for:
- Gamers with Linux experience and pleasure in tinkering, who want to get the maximum performance
- Users with AMD hardware, where the performance benefits are greater
- Developers and Power Users, who like a current system with optimizations
- enthusiast, who are willing to deal with a rolling release system
CachyOS is not Ideal for:
- Linux beginners, because it has too many configuration options and the multiple package managers cause extra confusion
- Users with Nvidia hardware, Those who want to play primarily
- People who are ‘batteries included’ CachyOS offers minimal pre-selection of pre-installed applications
- Stability-first users, because as a rolling release, there may occasionally be problems after updates
Conclusion: Is it worth the switch?
CachyOS impressively proves how fast a Linux system can be in 2025. The optimizations are real, the installation is impressively easy for an arch-based system, and the choice of desktop environments is unprecedented.
But: Keep in mind that as a rolling release (like Arch) issues may occasionally occur after an update. This is the price of the current software. Also, you should consider whether you really have the last 5-10 % Performance is needed, for example, for office users, the practical benefits will be minimal.
If you want the ultimate speed, need the latest features, and dare to use a rolling release system, then give CachyOS a chance, especially if you're using AMD hardware. Otherwise, it is a big step for many beginners, where the complexity may outweigh the benefits.
The future will show whether CachyOS is just another hype or whether it is establishing itself as a solid alternative to Arch and Manjaro.
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