VS Code Performance Setup for Low-End Machines (My Real Workflow)

After writing about optimising my old Ryzen 7 3700U laptop, I wanted to go deeper into one specific tool: VS Code. It’s my main editor, but on older hardware it can feel slow, especially during startup or when switching between large files. Over time, I’ve built a setup that keeps VS Code responsive even on a low-end machine. This is the exact configuration I use on my Gateway GWNR71539 running Windows 11 Home. My Machine Gateway GWNR71539 Ryzen 7 3700U 16 GB RAM Vega 10 graphics Windows 11 Home Daily tools: Python, GitHub Desktop, WSL, VS Code The Problems I Had Before tuning anything, VS Code had a few issues: Slow startup Extensions taking too long to activate High RAM usage with multiple windows Stutters when switching files CPU spikes when using the integrated terminal Most of this wasn’t VS Code’s fault — it was my hardware. But with the right setup, it became much smoother. 1. Removing Unnecessary Extensions Extensions are the biggest cause of slow startup. I removed anything I