After 3 days of searching, I found the answer on goggle with the right search phrase JUST after posting this !! Worth leaving up in case anyone else has the same issue
Disable App Nap Using ‘Get Info’
How to Disable App Nap in OS X Mavericks. While there’s not yet any known way to kill App Nap system-wide, it’s possible to do it on and app-by-app basis. The easiest method to do this is to use the Get Info window for a particular app.
Locate the app for which you’d like to prevent the App Nap feature from monitoring, right-click (Command-click) on its icon, and select “Get Info.” You can also highlight the app in Finder and press Command-I. The Get Info window will appear and you’ll notice a new option in the General section: “Prevent App Nap.” Check this box and your selected app will run at full power in the background.