CachyOS Continues Delivering Leading Performance Over Ubuntu 25.10, Fedora Workstation 43
Posted by chibiace@reddit | linux | View on Reddit | 73 comments
finbarrgalloway@reddit
... So no appreciable difference in an actual benchmark but FPS gains in Super Tux Cart?
Stop the presses I'm distrohopping now!
ProfessionalDoctor@reddit
As a big player in the underground competitive Super Tux Cart scene (or "SuTuCa", as we call it) I'm going to make the switch immediately
summerteeth@reddit
I know this is a joke but I kind of want it not to be
ProfessionalDoctor@reddit
Not only is it real but we only do deathmatches
Cute_Principle81@reddit
Real, I'll hop on RIGHT NOW
crooked_god@reddit
Can't wait to play Battle For Wesnoth in 120 Fps
yung_dogie@reddit
As a side note that game is incredible it's what got me into Fire Emblem and the like
skuterpikk@reddit
Same thing can be said about benchmarks. They mostly reflect benchmark performance, not real world performance.
And that only matters if running benchmarks is the only thing you do with a computer
summerteeth@reddit
I know it’s a pain to benchmark most games but it would be cool to see some benchmarks for people games with a benchmark suite. You know, for the gaming distro.
Historical-Bar-305@reddit
Yeah, another hype news with 1%-2% boost.
MelodicSlip_Official@reddit
we got instagram hypebeasts glazing the OS don't we?
murkywaters--@reddit
This guy describes himself on his profile as a military racist
Don't let racists into public spaces and engage with them like they are normal
DavidJohnMcCann@reddit
So after running a load of benchmarks (how relevant are they to actual use?) the author concluded that CachyOS was 7% faster than Fedora — big deal!
DustInFeel@reddit
I can't understand all this CachyOS!
zeanox@reddit
It's the flavor of the month, it changes every now and then, when a new hype distro comes around.
Isacx123@reddit
Flavor of the month that I have been using for almost a year now 🤷🏻♂️
S1rTerra@reddit
It WAS. It's Omarchy right now. Proud to say I hopped on Cachy before the hype train but really I could've just used Endeavor or setup Arch and have been fine
oxez@reddit
It's ok in a couple of years it likely won't be around anymore lol.
Leniwcowaty@reddit
I mean... Most of these tests show that the increase in performance is within the margin of error so... Great? Don't get me wrong, use what you want. But stop recommending Cachy to new Linux users just because it's "gaming" and "has better performance", because it's simply not true.
WeirdoKunt@reddit
The main + point for Cachy has always been gaming performance with nvidia. I dont know how it is now as i dont use nvidia but it had been consistently better using nvidia compared to most distros. With AMD stuff it was always similar to other distros. Also being rolling release it will often get an upper hand when fixes/uplifts come through update. So for a small period a rolling release distro can brag about better performance.
There is that caveat about Linux gaming benchmarks that small changes in performance difference will at times occur with differentiation in Kernels. Eventually though it always ends up equalising. Its just that sometimes rolling release distros can enjoy a few% uplift a tad before other distros. Doesnt mean much for most users in most circumstances.
Although recommending Cachy for gaming is still a good shout though. Easy quick install with game package and you are up and running. Although same can be said about Nobara and Bazzite i suppose, as in quick install with everything gaming wise ready to go(cachy you just need to install game package on hello screen).
Maerskian@reddit
For newcomers however, Bazzite seems to be safer. Even less initial steps than those alternatives, harder for 'em to break their system plus easy rollbacks already set by default.
Not my thing, but as i got used to help "normal" people with zero interest on computers other than just doing stuff on 'em... well, it's just customized Fedora (Silverblue/Kinoite), works perfectly fine unless.... unless they need some program outside the easy-to-reach ecosystem, then it gets too abstract for 'em, which can happen.
Coffee_Ops@reddit
Unless I'm mistaken Nvidia ships binary blob drivers, so there should be almost no difference in performance on that end, unless there's a terrible problem in the kernel.
I know that the fine print has always had some strange decisions, like comparing distros running python 3.10 to those running 3.12 and being surprised Pikachu when the 3.12 runs circles around the competition.
In one case, I recall Phoronix comparing Windows to Linux, with full disk encryption and a stack of exploit mitigations plus defender running on Windows, being compared to an unencrypted, non-spectre mitigated base install of clear OS or something and declaring Linux as superior.
I would always be very skeptical of a methodology coming out of Phoronix.
unixmachine@reddit
For gaming it's definitely better, as it uses different schedulers. This was tested on weak hardware (i7 4770 + 1660 Ti) using Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Arch Linux - avg 74 fps, min 49 fps and a max 167 fps. CachyOS - avg 79 fps, min 56 fps and a max 197 fps.
Leniwcowaty@reddit
So the difference in average FPS was what, like 6%? And this is "definitely better"? Nah man, this can be caused by something as small as 3 degrees in ambient temperature. "Definitely better" would be 15% difference. This is still the margin of error.
I'm not saying that Cachy is pointless. Nor is Bazzite, Nobara, etc. But saying that "CachyOS is be-all-end-all gaming distro" is just wrong and may cause more harm than good. Why?
Cachy is Arch. It's not immutable, you can still use AUR. This is the problem. You recommend basically Arch to people, who a few days ago didn't know hat Linux is. And Arch is not stable. Say what you want, that your installation doesn't break, that Arch doesn't break, that Cachy is rock solid. It's not. It's good, but it's not on the level of Debian, Mint, or even Fedora. It will break, and sooner rather than later when a non-experienced Linux noob will start tinkering, or trying to install something, by copy-pasting random commands. And this will be the end of their Linux journey.
Again - I'm not saying that Cachy is bad. Nor any other gaming distro. It just shouldn't be recommended to new Linux users. Recommend them something stable - Ubuntu, Mint, heck even Debian or Fedora. Let them familiarize with Linux in a stable and safe environment, then introduce them to more advanced and less stable distros. It's not like they can't game on Mint, they can, and the difference in performance will be, as you can se, within the margin of error.
I personally have Debian (LMDE 7) on my gaming rig. I've used Arch, Cachy, Omarchy, Fedora, Bazzite, Nobara. Did not experience ANY difference in performance, at least one that I would notice.
My point ultimately is - Arch is good, but PLEASE for the love of God, DO NOT recommend Arch or any Arch-based distro to newbies.
unixmachine@reddit
The most important factors are the maximum and minimum values, which indicate fewer stutters and more solid performance. There are several videos on YouTube with more complete tests, and the difference in favor of CachyOS is quite significant.
Regarding Arch usage by newcomers, it depends on the type of newcomer. I usually recommend it for newcomers, especially young people, because they have time and can learn from the problems. Perhaps someone who only wants to use the system to access the internet, I recommend go with Mint.
In my experience, Arch rarely breaks, Fedora was much more problematic for me, in some packages, it moves faster than Arch. Ubuntu is less performant overall and I always had something broken in my tests.
In the BRTFS era, it's also very easy to recover in case of an error. There are even scripts in the AUR to automate snapshots when updating the system. Furthermore, there's nothing particularly special about the AUR. PKGBUILDs are simply scripts that automate the download and installation process. I find them more transparent than downloading a .deb or .rpm file.
Ubuntu and Fedora are more frustrating for newcomers, they push Snaps and Flatpaks without explaining permissions, which leads many people to believe that certain software doesn't work properly.
ficiek@reddit
I think situations like this where people are clearly pushing agendas by tricking people who may not be able to know better using pseudo-scientific articles should just result in removing the post.
And it worked, most people only read the title, upvoted and without reading the comments you will indeed believe this person.
Quick-Distribution29@reddit
I dual boot fedora 42 and cachy os. Installed cachy 2 days ago. Still configuring it. Hope it's better than fedora.
Dialectic-Compiler@reddit
That's cool, isn't its whole thing having packages compiled with performance-tailored optimisations? It'd be kinda goofy if there were no gains from that.
Barafu@reddit
Nope. You see, the applications that can benefit from this for real, like ffmpeg, already have a switch inside of them to match the architecture of CPU. For all others, the CPU performance does not matter. You can get slightly better ZSTD compression performance, and that's it.
omniuni@reddit
I wonder how this compares to Ubuntu with KDE and Kisak?
Even with very current hardware, Kisak and KUbuntu Backports seems to give me the best of both worlds. I have a stable base, the latest UX and performance improvements from the stable release of KDE, and the "least" stable part is just the point releases of Mesa. Together, though, that should be where the bulk of performance improvements come from.
Upstairs-Comb1631@reddit
Good point. The same library versions should be compared in tests to see the optimizations.
hlodowigchile@reddit
Call me normie but i prefer mint, i can play equally and mi OS won't break every month
Upstairs-Comb1631@reddit
good point
Chance_of_Rain_@reddit
Why all the hate in the comments?
Also based on wrong info/knowledge.
Why can't other people have nice things? Cachy is great, if you don't like it...don't use it?
FryBoyter@reddit
What hate? Yes, many posts are not positive. But that's not hate. It would be good if certain terms were used less often. Especially when they are not accurate.
I agree wholeheartedly.
ilikedeserts90@reddit
People accuse other distros of spamming the sub, but the fedora/gnome/bazzite circlejerk is what dominates here.
Default_Defect@reddit
Not at all what my experience is. I see people recommending cachy to new users all the time and most of what I see about bazzite is misinformation.
SOUINnnn@reddit
What are you seeing about bazzite?
Default_Defect@reddit
Usually the take that its only for HTPCs and handhelds. Also that people think you can't do anything other than flatpaks even though Distrobox exists.
SOUINnnn@reddit
Oh I see, I indeed thought it was only for HTPCs at first
Dialectic-Compiler@reddit
It's a pretty normal reaction to anything that gets a lot of attention. A combination of vocal enthusiasts and sheer numbers builds things up to be something more than they are and people react with distaste and no small amount of tribalism.
crooked_god@reddit
Distro wars are half the reason I switched over to Linux.
Ubuntu master race here, by the way. come at me
wackajawacka@reddit
No, your suffering is already enough
JockstrapCummies@reddit
I suffered with Ubuntu so much that I've been using it for 15 years now.
DeathToOrcs@reddit
Kubuntu masterer race here!
Kufartha@reddit
Cachy is great, I might put it on my gaming computer, I'm not entirely sure which way I'll go yet, but I do like it a lot.
What I do actually hate though is disingenuous articles. Like a lot of other people have said already, if you read the article, Cachy was much better at running a game I've never heard of and basically on par with almost everything else based on the data. "Leading" is doing a lot of work in that headline. Cachy, Fedora and Ubuntu are all excellent distros designed differently, we should leave it at that.
bunkbail@reddit
Linux users being elitists, who would've thought
S1rTerra@reddit
Well you answered your own question. I guarantee you most of the people hating on Cachy only heard it's a "gaming distro"(which is false, it's just good at gaming) and because of how hated gaming distros are in this community they just rolled with it. It's a really nice general purpose distro overall.
Ok-Anywhere-9416@reddit
Only enthusiasts can rely on an OS that isn't even half made by real experts. The benefits in terms of performance are literally non-existent in most scenarios, not to mention the packages and the (almost?) bleeding edge nature.
Shot_Programmer_9898@reddit
Fedora is great, no need for the overly bloated gaming distros
Hot-Macaroon-8190@reddit
Good, so you are not talking about cachyos as it isn't bloated and it isn't a gaming distro. It's just a general purpose distro optimized for performance and it can easily install everything needed for gaming if you install the cachyos-gaming-meta package).
iceixia@reddit
Honestly never been able to get cachy to work on any of my machines. They all fail to boot the install media and just complain about something along the lines of 'clock sync'
which is odd because they'll all run any other distro fine.
dswhite85@reddit
I'm pretty happy with Fedora 43, thanks tho!
OneDayCloserToDeath@reddit
I used fedora before and after cachyos. Kind of annoying to have to update in the command line, and worse that you need to do it all the time. One time I updated and there wasn't enough room on the drive and the whole OS died. Went to Nobara at that point.
Cswizzy@reddit
lolwut
a0leaves@reddit
But it could be better!
BRB editing my BlueBuild recipe to use the Cachy kernel from Copr
shimoris@reddit
This is the way
S1rTerra@reddit
The arch based distro with special optimizations is overall faster than general distros besides certain workloads...? Like most other hardware/software where one that prioritizes some things will be slower in others as a fact? Who would've thought.
huggitt17@reddit
This just in: a F1 car is faster than a minivan, all mothers with 3 children should switch immediately!
jdefr@reddit
Yes and I am sure the catch is they don’t support most modern hardware or something.. Like no shit..
S1rTerra@reddit
I'm using Cachy right now and it's basically the exact same experience you would get with Endeavor/Arch in terms of software/hardware(and has AUR support) but it is noticeably the best distro for Counter Strike 2 which is infamously broken on the majority of Linux distros.
DelScipio@reddit
I didn't. CachyOS has problems dealing with power profiles in my computer (Intel 9th gen) so I had to change back to endeavour os. For gaming I use Windows. Those "optimizations" break a lot of things.
S1rTerra@reddit
Are you sure you had the proper package for power profiles installed? What breakage should I be expecting? I've been using Cachy for 4 months and it's. normal. And I use my computer for quite a lot of things.
ChrisTX4@reddit
You gotta love phoronix, how they just dump results without any discussion or analysis.
OpenSSL uses mostly optimised assembly in its code paths. Yet, Phoronix finds that despite using almost the same Version, 3.5.3 vs 3.5.4, OpenSSL on Ubuntu somehow delivers a sixth of the throughput than it does on Fedora and Cachy in this test. They didn’t even mention this being completely inexplicable in the article.
I did however notice in the fine print, that it uses -engine qatengine as Parameter on Ubuntu, without giving any reason. qatengine is a different engine for OpenSSL that uses the Intel QuickAssist Technology found on some Intel Xeons to accelerate certain OpenSSL algorithms in hardware. I don’t know why that would be passed as a parameter on an AMD consumer CPU. Given they say parameter this was not declared in an OpenSSL config.
Also, Fedora has system wide crypto policies, that might change defaults around, especially regarding FIPS. Zero info what they set those to.
S7relok@reddit
E-Penis boys need their dopamine shoot
lKrauzer@reddit
Another placebo thread
sunjay140@reddit
If Ubuntu and Fedora are unoptimized and Cachy optimized, why is Cachy's lead in the benchmarks so marginal?
Fuzzy_Ad9970@reddit
Stop trying to get me to switch off of my boring ass ubuntu install!
Default_Defect@reddit
Wow, Super Tux Cart.
At least the testing wasn't up to date Cachy vs a year out of date Nobara like I used to see all the time.
Affectionate_Fig9084@reddit
You won't Catch me using CatchyOS. I'll stay with Fedora.
the_abortionat0r@reddit
Lol just like you cachy guys. You see a benchmark where tuxkart plays better, most other benches show margin of error values, and cachy decently losing the rest and you interpret that as "CACHY NUMBA ONE!!!!1!11.
The meme continues.
S1rTerra@reddit
If OP's flair is to go by they use Void and are just copy and pasting the title from Phoronix. No need to be a douchebag.
ipsirc@reddit
And let's not forget that they use a browser 99% of the time...
https://www.phoronix.com/benchmark/result/ubuntu-2510-vs-fedora-43-vs-cachyos/selenium-speedometer-31-firefox.svgz