MacBook M2 Unable to Run After Effects due to Low Memory

Spec's: MBPro M2 Max
96 GB of RAM 
4TB Internal 
macOS Ventura 13.4.1

Using AE (Version 23.5.0 Build 52) for 2D work basically, using animator for text in a 1920x1080 Comp and that's about it. AE is absorbing 87% of my RAM and its extrememly slow chugging throuhg the timeline trying to get through rendering the green bars for simple annimations using tracking and opacity. Its crazy how slow it is. 

** Even when downgraded to AE Ver 22.1.1

I took the same project over to my 13 years old pc - and its didn't even flinch. It blew through the the renders like nothing. 

Side Note for AE Settings are as followed: 
Media & Disk Cache settings are: 
Maximum Dish Cache Size: 200GB 

Memory & Performace 
Installed Ram 96GB
RAM reserved for other applications: 25GB
RAM acailable for AE: 71GB 
:ballot_box_with_check: Enable Multi-Frame Rendering 
% CPU Reserved for other applications 21% 

Project Settings: 
Mercury Software Only 

Using: Open Rosetta is un-checked. 

Cache frames when idle is also un-checked 

Preview is set to Half 

Can anyone throw me any pointers if i have something configured wrong?