Discussion on: VS Code: You don't need that extension

Edit (forgot to come back earlier with instructions)/TL;DR:

1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P).
2. Run the Preferences: Configure Runtime Arguments command.
3. This command will open a[n] argv. json file to configure runtime arguments. You might see some default arguments there already.
4. Add "disable-hardware-acceleration": true.
5. Restart VS Code.

Source: code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_4...

More of a general usability tip for Linux users who experience slowness in VS Code: Disable hardware rendering. Chances are you're already experiencing this in Chrome/Chromium/Brave/Opera/etc. and Firefox if it impacts you in VS Code, and the solution is the same (albeit in different places in settings).

Not sure if it counts as a power tip but CTRL + K + Z to just focus on the code you're working on right now and get rid of all the things around it.