linuxlite (desktop) vs linuxlite-gaming — what's the same and what's different.
| Setting | linuxlite (Desktop) | linuxlite-gaming (Gaming) |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduler | ||
| Base scheduler | EEVDF | EEVDF |
| BORE modification | EnabledBurst-aware scheduling bias | EnabledBurst-aware scheduling bias |
| Preemption model | DynamicBalances throughput and responsiveness, switches modes at runtime | FullKernel can interrupt almost any task immediately, lowest latency |
| Scheduler latency target | 6 msSmooth multitasking with low overhead | 3 msHalf the window for faster frame delivery |
| Minimum granularity | 750 μs | 400 μs |
| Wakeup granularity | 500 μs | 300 μs |
| Timer frequency | 1000 Hz4× default (250 Hz) | 1000 Hz4× default (250 Hz) |
| Autogroup scheduling | DisabledAvoids TTY-based grouping that can starve GUI apps | DisabledAvoids TTY-based grouping that can starve GUI apps |
| Latency Nice | Enabled | Enabled |
| Core scheduling | Enabled | Enabled |
| UCLAMP | Enabled5 buckets | Enabled5 buckets |
| Memory | ||
| Transparent Huge Pages | On demandAllocated when applications request them via madvise |
Always onUsed wherever possible, benefits large game assets and textures |
| ZRAM | EnabledCompressed swap in RAM | EnabledCompressed swap in RAM |
| ZSWAP | EnabledZstd compression | EnabledZstd compression |
| NUMA balancing | Enabled | Enabled |
| Networking | ||
| Congestion control | BBR v3 | BBR v3 |
| Queue discipline | Fair Queueing (FQ) | Fair Queueing (FQ) |
| Storage | ||
| I/O scheduler | MQ-Deadline | MQ-Deadline |
| Kyber I/O scheduler | Disabled | EnabledAdditional scheduler option for NVMe drives |
| CachyOS Patches | ||
| AES crypto (AVX-512) | Included | Included |
| AMD P-State preferred core | Included | Included |
| Block I/O improvements | Included | Included |
| ASLR max entropy | Included | Included |
| KSM per-process controls | Included | Included |
| ntsync (Wine/Proton) | Included | Included |
| Zstd library update | Included | Included |
| Build | ||
| Compiler optimisation | -O2CC_OPTIMIZE_FOR_PERFORMANCE |
-O2CC_OPTIMIZE_FOR_PERFORMANCE |
| Base config source | Ubuntu running kernel/boot/config-$(uname -r) with custom fragment merged on top |
|
| Best For | ||
| Recommended use | Everyday desktopWeb browsing, office, media, development, general multitasking | Gaming and low-latencyGames, Wine/Proton, audio/video production, VR |
| Trade-off | Higher throughputBetter batch performance, lower CPU overhead from context switches | Lower latencyFaster input response, smoother frames, slightly more CPU overhead |
| Installs as | DefaultShips with every Linux Lite installation | OptionalOffered on first login or installed via Lite Kernel Manager |