I'm using a HP Pavilion Game Laptop (15-ec0xxx)with 16GB RAM, 64 Bit, AMD Ryzen 5 35504 Processor with Radeo Vega and two SSD drives. The first drive is 256GB and runs Windows. The second SSD drive is 1TB and is where Ubuntu (tried both 20.04 and 20.10) is installed.

Running Ubuntu from this drive is Extremely slow (e.g. 2-5 seconds to react to a keystroke or mouse click). Even during installation (via a bootable USB thumb drive) it is slow.

Tried 2 different Ubuntu distros, problem is likely with the drive - but it works fine (and fast) with Windows.

Using /, /boot, /home partitions. / and /home are Ext 4 and logical, /boot is Ext 2 and Primary.

Suggestions?

The only thing I can think of is video drivers, or possibly the Ubuntu (Gnome) file indexer named "tracker", which is a known performance killer, although once it has completed the initial index, shouldn't be that bad.

Are you getting warnings about running in "software mode" when you reach the desktop? This would indicate the specific video drivers for your card are not being used.

If you think it's the drive, you can check it's SMART status with the following command;

You'll have to run the above as root and replace "sdX" with the correct device node for said drive.

You might also what to check the filesystem with fsck if smartctl doesn't report any problems.

I get the feeling it might be something else altogether though. Perhaps graphics driver related? As it seems strange that an SSD drive that doesn't have any problems would be that slow. What makes you think it's the SSD drive?

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Not getting warnings ... just real slow and lots of "freezes". The slowness starts when I am installing. I've tried Ubuntu 20.04, 20.10 and also have partitioned and installed it into the first SSD drive where Windows is running. Same results.

Can't run the code above as I can't get Ubuntu to work reasonably. Drives check out ok from Windows.
The slowness starts when I am installing Ubuntu. I've tried Ubuntu 20.04, 20.10 and also have partitioned and installed it into the first SSD drive where Windows is running. Same results.
Should I try another distro?

You could try MX Linux on it, just to check that it is Ubuntu at fault, MX is a good distro that you may even like.

https://mxlinux.org/

That is weird.
So booting into the Live medium is slow, too? Then it obviously can't be a internal drive issue.
Did this rig ever run anything fast, in this configuration?

See results of top command?

Check how your UEFI/BIOS is set up, maybe some setting for MS is causing the problem.

Update - trying Live USB of MX Linux. It responds well and is not slow like the Ubuntu attempts. In reading the info on MX Linux it says that it addresses the AMD Ryzen 5 35504 Processor with Radeon Vega issues - and apparently does where Ubuntu does not.

Next, I'll try to install it after I do some re-partitioning.

Installed MX Linux and it works fine ... unlike Ubuntu which was slow and froze a lot. It must be something to do with the AMD Ryzen 5 35504 Processor with Radeon Vega which MX Linux says it is compatible with.

I'm not proficient enough to troubleshoot the differences. May be something for a Guru to do?

So, Ubuntu requires 3D acceleration to display the desktop. More accurately, Gnome requires 3D acceleration to work. I believe MX Linux uses Xfce4 but I am not sure, not used it. I don't know what the current Xfce4 requires in terms of 3D acceleration. Personally, I tend to avoid desktops that require 3D acceleration to even run because frankly I think it's pointless. Then again I am not an eye candy guy...

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Thanks to all of you for your suggestions. MX Linux is up and running ... well. Thanks for the suggestion fatmac and yes, it is cool.