Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology is regarded as the gold standard in the area of nucleic acids detection due to its high sensitivity and specificity. The utility of PCR, however, is somehow hampered by the fact that it is time-consuming (generally more than 60 min). Faster heating cycles are therefore needed to shorten the reaction times and improve the detection efficiency. In this review, the kinetics of PCR are first analyzed from three reaction stages, namely template denaturation, primmer annealing and polymerase extension. The PCR can be conducted quickly without sacrificing the amplification efficiency and sensitivity by optimizing the instruments and biochemical reaction. Then, the characteristics and progresses of high-speed nucleic acids thermocyclers are fully analyzed and discussed. And the thermocyclers are mainly divided into contact thermocyclers and non-contact thermocyclers. Finally, different aspects of high-speed PCR including thermocycling, biochemistry, signal identification and integrated device are prospected. With the development of technology, the high-speed thermocyclers would become more and more mature and it would play a more important role in the molecular diagnostics, especially for time-sensitive detection areas.