CachyOS is an Arch-based distribution organized around performance. It rebuilds packages with compiler optimizations aimed at newer x86-64 processor feature levels, ships kernels carrying scheduler and responsiveness patches, and applies tuning that stock Arch leaves as an exercise for the user. Despite that focus it remains approachable: a graphical installer offers a long list of desktop environments and window managers, with KDE Plasma as the flagship choice, and it selects sensible defaults for you. The system stays rolling and uses pacman, so day-to-day administration feels like Arch, including access to the Arch User Repository. CachyOS has found an audience among gamers, benchmark enthusiasts, and owners of recent CPUs who want measurable gains without compiling everything themselves in Gentoo fashion. An OpenFactory VM in the browser is a quick way to look around the default desktop before deciding whether the tuning matters for your hardware.
Select a version of CachyOS to try online:
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Need CachyOS for more than a quick browser preview?
The buttons above launch an ephemeral browser VM, perfect for kicking the tires. Paid plans unlock the things you'd actually use it for:
- ✓Persistent VMs you can SSH into and customize
- ✓Snapshots, your own packages, a downloadable ISO
- ✓Fleet deployment to your own machines (on-prem or cloud)