How can I speed up my Ubuntu performance?

There are definitely ways to speed up the boot time. Check out Gnome's power settings for options that can impact performance. Also, if you're using Snap or Flatpak for some apps, they can slow down launch times compared to native installations. Try launching Firefox with `time firefox` to see how long it takes.

For further optimization, try running `sudo ubuntu-drivers install` to check if better Nvidia drivers are available if you're using an Nvidia GPU. Also, experiment with the desktop session; switching from Wayland to X11 might help. Lastly, consider using Flatpak or AppImage versions of Firefox and VS Code instead of the Snap versions.

If you're looking to speed up your boot process, you can tweak Grub settings: hold Left Shift during boot to access it, then edit the boot command. Remove 'quiet splash' from the line and boot. This should give you more detailed boot messages and could help identify any delays.

To understand what's slowing down your boot process, you can use `systemd-analyze` and `systemd-analyze blame` which will show you how long each part takes during startup. This helps you pinpoint any bottlenecks. Also, if your laptop is overheating, consider adjusting your CPU configuration using `tlp` and `tlpui` for a GUI option. The Gnome settings might also allow you to tweak CPU performance modes, like balanced or power-saving options.

You might want to consider installing a lightweight desktop environment like LXQt or Enlightenment. Gnome can be quite heavy and switching to something lighter could improve your overall experience.