Actually…i just tested this idea and I think it may be the solution. I have the same fx plugins in use in Fusion. I chose a combination of them that drastically tanks performance. Then when I go back into the EDIT tab playback is only a little choppy the first playthrough, but then it seems to run perfectly smooth. It is still kind of an automatic cache i think and i wish there was a visual indicator that it is working, but it seems to be working.
Its a bit less convenient than Premiere’s way and annoying that its an automatic background things “Just trust us / we’re doing magic”. But so far so good
@Devrim Akteke thank you for attempting to assist me in this. The info you share will probably be helpful in other future situations too.