CachyOS: Install and Configure the Performance-Tuned Arch Linux Distro (2026)

Tested on: CachyOS 2026.06 — AMD and Intel — Last updated: June 2026

CachyOS is an Arch Linux-based distribution focused on performance. It ships with a custom kernel that includes BORE and EEVDF scheduler patches, optimized CPU scheduling, and pre-configured gaming tools — giving you a faster Arch system without the manual setup. Unlike Bazzite or SteamOS, CachyOS is fully mutable: you use pacman and the AUR exactly as on vanilla Arch, but with a tuned kernel and a polished installer. This guide covers installation, kernel selection, gaming setup and system tuning.

What Makes CachyOS Different from Arch?

• Custom kernel: the CachyOS kernel includes BORE scheduler, EEVDF, BBRv3 TCP, and CPU-specific optimizations not in the mainline kernel
• Multiple kernel options: linux-cachyos (default), linux-cachyos-lts, linux-cachyos-bore, linux-cachyos-hardened — selectable at install or later
• Optimized repos: packages compiled with march=x86-64-v3 or v4 for modern CPUs, giving 5–15% performance improvement on compatible hardware
• Polished installer: a graphical Calamares installer with partition, desktop environment and driver selection — no manual pacstrap needed
• Gaming pre-configured: Steam, Proton, MangoHUD, GameMode, and Heroic Games Launcher available in the installer
• Full AUR access: it is Arch underneath — yay, paru, and any AUR helper work out of the box

Editions and Desktop Environments

CachyOS offers multiple editions at download. Choose based on your preferred desktop:

• KDE Plasma — recommended, most polished on CachyOS, pre-configured with gaming tweaks
• GNOME — clean and modern, slightly less customized out of the box
• Hyprland — tiling Wayland compositor, for users who want a keyboard-driven workflow
• XFCE — lightweight, good for older hardware
• CachyOS Handheld Edition — KDE + Gaming Mode for Steam Deck and handheld PCs

System Requirements

• CPU: x86-64-v3 recommended (Intel Haswell / AMD Zen or newer) — older CPUs use the standard x86-64 repo automatically
• RAM: 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended
• Storage: 20 GB minimum (SSD strongly recommended)
• GPU: NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel — drivers selectable during install

Download and Install CachyOS

Download the ISO from cachyos.org and flash it to a USB:

sudo dd if=cachyos-desktop-linux-2026.06.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress conv=fsync

Boot from USB and launch the Calamares installer. Key decisions:

• Partition: automatic (erases disk) or manual — btrfs with subvolumes is the default and recommended
• Desktop environment: KDE Plasma recommended for gaming
• Kernel: linux-cachyos (BORE+EEVDF) is the default — stick with it unless you have a specific reason to change
• Drivers: select NVIDIA proprietary if you have an NVIDIA GPU
• Gaming extras: tick Steam, Proton, MangoHUD during install to skip post-install setup

Kernel Selection and Management

CachyOS ships multiple kernel variants in its repos. Switch kernels at any time:

# List available CachyOS kernels
sudo pacman -Ss linux-cachyos

# Install a specific variant
sudo pacman -S linux-cachyos-bore          # BORE scheduler (good for gaming/desktop)
sudo pacman -S linux-cachyos-lts           # Long-term support, more stable
sudo pacman -S linux-cachyos-hardened      # Security-focused
sudo pacman -S linux-cachyos-zen           # Zen patches, low-latency

# Update bootloader entries after installing new kernel
sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

The BORE (Burst-Oriented Response Enhancer) scheduler reduces latency in desktop and gaming workloads. It is the recommended default for most CachyOS users.

Gaming Setup: Steam, Proton and MangoHUD

If you selected gaming extras during install, Steam and Proton are already set up. If not, install them now:

# Enable multilib repo (for Steam 32-bit dependencies)
sudo sed -i '/[multilib]/{n;s/Include/Include/}' /etc/pacman.conf
sudo pacman -Sy

# Install Steam and gaming tools
sudo pacman -S steam mangohud gamemode

# Install Heroic for Epic and GOG
yay -S heroic-games-launcher-bin

Enable MangoHUD and GameMode per game in Steam launch options:

mangohud gamemoderun %command%

Package Management: pacman and AUR

CachyOS uses standard Arch package management. The CachyOS repos add optimized packages on top:

# System update
sudo pacman -Syu

# Install a package
sudo pacman -S package-name

# Search packages
sudo pacman -Ss keyword

# Install yay (AUR helper) if not already installed
sudo pacman -S yay

# Install from AUR
yay -S spotify discord obsidian

# Remove package and unused dependencies
sudo pacman -Rns package-name

System Performance Tuning

CachyOS includes the CachyOS Settings Manager (cachyos-settings) with toggles for common performance tweaks. From the terminal, apply the recommended gaming profile:

# Check CPU governor (should be 'performance' for gaming, 'schedutil' for battery)
cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor

# Set performance governor manually
echo performance | sudo tee /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu*/cpufreq/scaling_governor

# Enable zram (compressed swap in RAM — CachyOS enables this by default)
sudo systemctl enable --now zramswap

CachyOS vs Arch vs Bazzite

• CachyOS: best for users who want Arch with a performance kernel and a graphical installer. Fully mutable, full AUR access, more control than Bazzite but more setup than SteamOS.
• Vanilla Arch: maximum control, zero hand-holding. CachyOS is the better choice unless you specifically want to do the manual setup yourself.
• Bazzite: better for pure gaming with minimal maintenance. Immutable, NVIDIA plug-and-play, Gaming Mode for TV/couch setups. Less control than CachyOS.
• SteamOS: best for Steam Deck. Not designed for regular PCs.

Troubleshooting

pacman database lock error

sudo rm /var/lib/pacman/db.lck

NVIDIA driver not loading after kernel update

# Regenerate initramfs after NVIDIA or kernel update
sudo mkinitcpio -P

# Verify NVIDIA module is loaded
lsmod | grep nvidia

Screen tearing in games on X11

Switch to Wayland session (KDE Plasma Wayland is stable on CachyOS) or enable full-screen compositing bypass in KDE System Settings → Display → Compositor.

AUR package fails to build

# Update keyring and rebuild
sudo pacman -Sy archlinux-keyring cachyos-keyring
yay -S --rebuild package-name

What to Do Next

With CachyOS running you have a full Arch system with a performance kernel and AUR access. Good next steps: set up your terminal with Neovim, configure dotfiles, and if you want to run AI models locally, yay -S ollama installs Ollama from the AUR in one command. For a comparison with other gaming distros see our Bazzite guide.