Arch, CachyOS, Omarchy Benchmarked on Same Hardware
Phoronix tested three Linux distributions on a Framework Desktop with an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Computers
Phoronix published performance benchmarks comparing Arch Linux, CachyOS, and Omarchy 4.5 on identical hardware. The comparison arrives as CachyOS rolls out a Linux 7.3 based kernel.
Why it matters
Side-by-side testing on the same machine isolates differences between distributions rather than hardware variation. The results give Linux users a direct comparison of how these builds perform on a current high-end desktop platform.
The test system used a Framework Desktop with an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 Strix Halo processor, 64GB of RAM, and a 2TB WD_BLACK SN7100 NVMe SSD. CachyOS ran Linux 7.3 while Arch Linux upstream remained on Linux 7.2 during testing, and all three distributions used GCC 16.2.
The players
Phoronix
Phoronix is a long-running technology news site known for in-depth Linux hardware and software benchmarking.
CachyOS
CachyOS is an Arch-based Linux distribution focused on performance optimization and included Zen 4+ optimized packages.
The details
Arch Linux was installed with a generic archinstall setup using the KDE Plasma desktop, while CachyOS was installed at its defaults and updated. Omarchy 4.5 was installed with its stock install and defaults to the performance profile out of the box.
Timeline
Article comparing the three distributions was published November 6, 2026.
Omarchy 4.5 was released in the same week as the article.
The Tech Race
The comparison lands at the moment CachyOS shipped a Linux 7.3 kernel while Arch Linux upstream was still on 7.2, creating a measurable kernel-version gap between the two. Testing these builds on identical hardware lets the community weigh distribution-level tuning against the upstream baseline.
Users choosing between Arch Linux, CachyOS, and Omarchy can weigh default tuning and kernel version differences when picking a distribution for a new desktop. The comparison shows which builds ship with performance-oriented defaults out of the box.
The takeaway
Default configuration and kernel version can differ meaningfully between Linux distributions even on identical hardware. Check which kernel and performance profile a distribution ships with before choosing one for demanding workloads.
Further reading
Explore more hardware and operating system coverage in the Computers section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Phoronix.
