diff --git a/src/components/admin/ThemeTab.tsx b/src/components/admin/ThemeTab.tsx
index 3bfad07..1eaaef2 100644
--- a/src/components/admin/ThemeTab.tsx
+++ b/src/components/admin/ThemeTab.tsx
@@ -149,24 +149,47 @@ export function ThemeTab() {
     },
   });
 
-  // Update a single color in the draft and apply preview instantly
+  // Throttle applyThemeColors to once per animation frame
+  const rafRef = useRef(0);
+  const querySyncRef = useRef(0);
+
   const updateDraftColor = useCallback(
     (key: keyof ThemeColors, value: string) => {
       setDraftColors((prev) => {
         const next = { ...prev, [key]: value };
-        applyThemeColors(next);
-        queryClient.setQueryData(['theme-colors'], next);
+
+        // Throttle CSS variable updates to 1x per frame
+        cancelAnimationFrame(rafRef.current);
+        rafRef.current = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+          applyThemeColors(next);
+        });
+
+        // Debounce query cache update (triggers re-renders of other components)
+        clearTimeout(querySyncRef.current);
+        querySyncRef.current = window.setTimeout(() => {
+          queryClient.setQueryData(['theme-colors'], next);
+        }, 150);
+
         return next;
       });
     },
     [queryClient],
   );
 
+  // Cleanup on unmount
+  useEffect(() => {
+    return () => {
+      cancelAnimationFrame(rafRef.current);
+      clearTimeout(querySyncRef.current);
+    };
+  }, []);
+
   // Apply a full preset and auto-save to server
   const applyPreset = useCallback(
     (colors: Partial<ThemeColors>) => {
       setDraftColors((prev) => {
         const next = { ...prev, ...colors };
+        // Preset is a one-shot action — apply immediately (no throttle needed)
         applyThemeColors(next);
         queryClient.setQueryData(['theme-colors'], next);
         // Auto-save preset to server so it persists across navigation
diff --git a/src/components/ui/backgrounds/background-beams.tsx b/src/components/ui/backgrounds/background-beams.tsx
index e36b828..26a6577 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/backgrounds/background-beams.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/backgrounds/background-beams.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import React from 'react';
-import { motion } from 'framer-motion';
 
 interface Props {
   settings: Record<string, unknown>;
 }
 
+// All 50 paths from the original Aceternity component
 const paths = [
   'M-380 -189C-380 -189 -312 216 152 343C616 470 684 875 684 875',
   'M-373 -197C-373 -197 -305 208 159 335C623 462 691 867 691 867',
@@ -26,13 +26,78 @@ const paths = [
   'M-261 -325C-261 -325 -193 80 271 207C735 334 803 739 803 739',
   'M-254 -333C-254 -333 -186 72 278 199C742 326 810 731 810 731',
   'M-247 -341C-247 -341 -179 64 285 191C749 318 817 723 817 723',
+  'M-240 -349C-240 -349 -172 56 292 183C756 310 824 715 824 715',
+  'M-233 -357C-233 -357 -165 48 299 175C763 302 831 707 831 707',
+  'M-226 -365C-226 -365 -158 40 306 167C770 294 838 699 838 699',
+  'M-219 -373C-219 -373 -151 32 313 159C777 286 845 691 845 691',
+  'M-212 -381C-212 -381 -144 24 320 151C784 278 852 683 852 683',
+  'M-205 -389C-205 -389 -137 16 327 143C791 270 859 675 859 675',
+  'M-198 -397C-198 -397 -130 8 334 135C798 262 866 667 866 667',
+  'M-191 -405C-191 -405 -123 0 341 127C805 254 873 659 873 659',
+  'M-184 -413C-184 -413 -116 -8 348 119C812 246 880 651 880 651',
+  'M-177 -421C-177 -421 -109 -16 355 111C819 238 887 643 887 643',
+  'M-170 -429C-170 -429 -102 -24 362 103C826 230 894 635 894 635',
+  'M-163 -437C-163 -437 -95 -32 369 95C833 222 901 627 901 627',
+  'M-156 -445C-156 -445 -88 -40 376 87C840 214 908 619 908 619',
+  'M-149 -453C-149 -453 -81 -48 383 79C847 206 915 611 915 611',
+  'M-142 -461C-142 -461 -74 -56 390 71C854 198 922 603 922 603',
+  'M-135 -469C-135 -469 -67 -64 397 63C861 190 929 595 929 595',
+  'M-128 -477C-128 -477 -60 -72 404 55C868 182 936 587 936 587',
+  'M-121 -485C-121 -485 -53 -80 411 47C875 174 943 579 943 579',
+  'M-114 -493C-114 -493 -46 -88 418 39C882 166 950 571 950 571',
+  'M-107 -501C-107 -501 -39 -96 425 31C889 158 957 563 957 563',
+  'M-100 -509C-100 -509 -32 -104 432 23C896 150 964 555 964 555',
+  'M-93 -517C-93 -517 -25 -112 439 15C903 142 971 547 971 547',
+  'M-86 -525C-86 -525 -18 -120 446 7C910 134 978 539 978 539',
+  'M-79 -533C-79 -533 -11 -128 453 -1C917 126 985 531 985 531',
+  'M-72 -541C-72 -541 -4 -136 460 -9C924 118 992 523 992 523',
+  'M-65 -549C-65 -549 3 -144 467 -17C931 110 999 515 999 515',
+  'M-58 -557C-58 -557 10 -152 474 -25C938 102 1006 507 1006 507',
+  'M-51 -565C-51 -565 17 -160 481 -33C945 94 1013 499 1013 499',
+  'M-44 -573C-44 -573 24 -168 488 -41C952 86 1020 491 1020 491',
+  'M-37 -581C-37 -581 31 -176 495 -49C959 78 1027 483 1027 483',
 ];
 
-// Static background paths (subset for the radial gradient overlay)
-const bgPath =
-  'M-380 -189C-380 -189 -312 216 152 343C616 470 684 875 684 875M-373 -197C-373 -197 -305 208 159 335C623 462 691 867 691 867M-366 -205C-366 -205 -298 200 166 327C630 454 698 859 698 859M-359 -213C-359 -213 -291 192 173 319C637 446 705 851 705 851M-352 -221C-352 -221 -284 184 180 311C644 438 712 843 712 843M-345 -229C-345 -229 -277 176 187 303C651 430 719 835 719 835M-338 -237C-338 -237 -270 168 194 295C658 422 726 827 726 827M-331 -245C-331 -245 -263 160 201 287C665 414 733 819 733 819M-324 -253C-324 -253 -256 152 208 279C672 406 740 811 740 811M-317 -261C-317 -261 -249 144 215 271C679 398 747 803 747 803';
+// Concatenated static background path
+const bgPath = paths.join('');
+
+// Seeded pseudo-random for deterministic values (avoids hydration mismatches)
+function seededRandom(seed: number) {
+  const x = Math.sin(seed * 9301 + 49297) * 49297;
+  return x - Math.floor(x);
+}
+
+// Pre-compute beam animation params at module level (stable across renders)
+const beamParams = paths.map((_, i) => ({
+  duration: 10 + seededRandom(i) * 10, // 10-20s
+  delay: seededRandom(i + 100) * 10, // 0-10s
+}));
+
+// CSS keyframes injected once
+const STYLE_ID = 'bg-beams-style';
+function ensureStyles() {
+  if (typeof document === 'undefined') return;
+  if (document.getElementById(STYLE_ID)) return;
+
+  const style = document.createElement('style');
+  style.id = STYLE_ID;
+  style.textContent = `
+    @keyframes beamDash {
+      0% { stroke-dashoffset: 1; opacity: 0; }
+      2% { opacity: 1; }
+      80% { opacity: 1; }
+      100% { stroke-dashoffset: -1; opacity: 0; }
+    }
+  `;
+  document.head.appendChild(style);
+}
 
 export default React.memo(function BackgroundBeams({ settings: _settings }: Props) {
+  // Inject CSS once on first render
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    ensureStyles();
+  }, []);
+
   return (
     <div className="absolute inset-0 overflow-hidden">
       <svg
@@ -43,55 +108,43 @@ export default React.memo(function BackgroundBeams({ settings: _settings }: Prop
         fill="none"
         xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
       >
-        {/* Static background paths */}
-        <path d={bgPath} stroke="url(#paint0_radial)" strokeOpacity="0.05" strokeWidth="0.5" />
+        {/* Static background — all paths at very low opacity */}
+        <path
+          d={bgPath}
+          stroke="url(#paint0_radial_beams)"
+          strokeOpacity="0.05"
+          strokeWidth="0.5"
+        />
 
-        {/* Animated beam paths with moving gradients */}
-        {paths.map((path, index) => (
-          <motion.path
-            key={`path-${index}`}
+        {/* Animated beams — CSS stroke-dashoffset animation, GPU composited */}
+        {paths.map((path, i) => (
+          <path
+            key={i}
             d={path}
-            stroke={`url(#linearGradient-${index})`}
-            strokeOpacity="0.4"
+            stroke="url(#beamGradient)"
             strokeWidth="0.5"
+            strokeOpacity="0.5"
+            pathLength={1}
+            strokeDasharray="0.15 0.85"
+            strokeDashoffset="1"
+            style={{
+              animation: `beamDash ${beamParams[i].duration}s ease-in-out ${beamParams[i].delay}s infinite`,
+            }}
           />
         ))}
 
         <defs>
-          {/* Animated linear gradients that move along the paths */}
-          {paths.map((_, index) => (
-            <motion.linearGradient
-              id={`linearGradient-${index}`}
-              key={`gradient-${index}`}
-              initial={{
-                x1: '0%',
-                x2: '0%',
-                y1: '0%',
-                y2: '0%',
-              }}
-              animate={{
-                x1: ['0%', '100%'],
-                x2: ['0%', '95%'],
-                y1: ['0%', '100%'],
-                y2: ['0%', `${93 + Math.random() * 8}%`],
-              }}
-              transition={{
-                duration: Math.random() * 10 + 10,
-                ease: 'easeInOut',
-                repeat: Infinity,
-                delay: Math.random() * 10,
-              }}
-            >
-              <stop stopColor="#18CCFC" stopOpacity="0" />
-              <stop stopColor="#18CCFC" />
-              <stop offset="32.5%" stopColor="#6344F5" />
-              <stop offset="100%" stopColor="#AE48FF" stopOpacity="0" />
-            </motion.linearGradient>
-          ))}
+          {/* Single shared gradient for all beams (cyan → purple → magenta) */}
+          <linearGradient id="beamGradient" x1="0%" y1="0%" x2="100%" y2="100%">
+            <stop stopColor="#18CCFC" stopOpacity="0" />
+            <stop offset="10%" stopColor="#18CCFC" />
+            <stop offset="50%" stopColor="#6344F5" />
+            <stop offset="100%" stopColor="#AE48FF" stopOpacity="0" />
+          </linearGradient>
 
           {/* Radial gradient for static background */}
           <radialGradient
-            id="paint0_radial"
+            id="paint0_radial_beams"
             cx="0"
             cy="0"
             r="1"