Join Patreon
 Join Patreon

Borderlands 4: 5 Best SSD Upgrades To Reduce Loading Stutters

By / Borderlands 4, Tech / September 14, 2025

Here are the best SSD upgrade options for Borderlands 4, incorporating Gen 4 and Gen 5 NVMe standards, reducing loading stutters.

Borderlands 4: 5 Best SSD Upgrades to Reduce Loading Stutters
An image showing two SSDs (Image via Seagate | Lexar)

Borderlands 4 benefits from fast storage. While a standard SATA SSD, or a Gen 3 NVMe drive, can get you through, the options below utilize the superior Gen 4 and Gen 5 NVMe standards. So you get quick load times and a smooth and consistent frame time graph, and so that stutters remain in check.

We tested the game with a PCIe Gen 4 drive, the Corsair MP600 PRO LPX, alongside the Core i5 13600K and RTX 4070 Ti, and found that the 1% and .1% lows are more consistent, alongside a stable frame time graph. There are stutters, but they are a lot less noticeable.

Read More: 5 Best Mid-Range GPUs for Borderlands 4

1. Samsung 990 PRO

samsungs fastest yet nvme gen4 drive
Samsung 990 Pro Heatsink Model (Image via Samsung)

The 990 PRO is a benchmark from the PCIe Gen 4 era. It’s still one of the fastest drives available. Now that Gen 5 is trending, the 990 PRO has become a lot more affordable. Additionally, Samsung has addressed firmware issues within the drives, which have affected the drives’ lifespan. It’s an excellent buy for your game storage, and Borderlands 4 will surely benefit from it.

Specifications:

  • Type: PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
  • Capacity: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
  • Sequential Read: Up to 7450 MB/s
  • Sequential Write: Up to 6900 MB/s
  • Endurance: Up to 2400 TBW (2TB model)
  • Price: $109.99 (1TB)
  • Buy at Newegg: Samsung 990 PRO 1TB

2. WD Black SN850X

sn850x gen 4 drive, gaming beast
Western Digital SN850X Heatsink Model (Image via Western Digital)

The SN850X is an excellent Gen 4 NVMe drive from Western Digital. It’s a bit slower than the 990 PRO, but it’s still plenty fast. This and the Corsair MP600 PRO LPX that we have tested are very close to each other in terms of performance.

Specifications:

  • Type: PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
  • Capacity: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
  • Sequential Read: Up to 7200 MB/s
  • Sequential Write: Up to 6600 MB/s
  • Endurance: Up to 1200 TBW
  • Price: $149
  • Buy at Newegg: WD SN850X 2TB

3. Crucial T500

crucial t500 gaming ssd
Crucial’s T500 heatsink model (Image via Crucial)

With the T500, you get incredible value for money. The SSD is not as fast as the first two drives, but it is significantly faster than cheaper Gen 3 drives. It’s an excellent choice as a budget game storage drive for all of your games.

Specifications:

  • Type: PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
  • Capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB
  • Sequential Read: Up to 7300 MB/s
  • Sequential Write: Up to 6600 MB/s
  • Endurance: Up to 1200 TBW (2TB model)
  • Price: $95
  • Buy at Newegg: Crucial T500 1TB

4. Lexar Professional NM1090 Pro

Lexar Gen 5 NVMe SSD
Lexar Gen 5 NVMe SSD (Image via Lexar)

The Lexar NM1090 Pro is a PCIe 5.0 NVMe drive that is extremely fast. Unless your motherboard supports Gen 5 drives and has a robust heatsink to compensate for the heat, do not opt for this; stick to Gen 4 drives, as they generate less heat and cost significantly less. In terms of performance, you won’t notice that much of a difference in games; still, if you prefer absolute speed, go for it.

Specifications:

  • Type: PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD
  • Capacity: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
  • Sequential Read: Up to 14000 MB/s
  • Sequential Write: Up to 13000 MB/s
  • Price: $139
  • Buy at Newegg: Lexar Professional 1090 PRO 1 TB

5. Seagate FireCuda 530R

Firecuda 530R NVMe SSD
Firecuda 530R NVMe SSD (Image via Seagate)

The FireCuda 530R, in terms of reliability, is the best. In terms of TBW, it offers the highest anyone can find here. If you go for the Firecuda, it will be slightly more expensive in contrast to other Gen4 drives, but the reliability will be spot on.

Specifications:

  • Type: PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
  • Capacity: 500GB to 4TB
  • Sequential Read: Up to 7450 MB/s
  • Sequential Write: Up to 6900 MB/s
  • Endurance: Up to 5050 TBW (4TB)
  • Price: $89
  • Buy at Micro Center: Seagate 530R 1TB

Verdict

All of the SSDs mentioned here are an excellent pairing for Borderlands 4. Unless you need the bandwidth advantage Gen 5.0 offers, we suggest sticking with Gen 4 drives, and we highly recommend the FireCuda 530R. That said, the other options are also potent.

Read More: 5 Best Mid-Range CPUs For Borderlands 4

We provide the latest news and “How To’s” for Tech content. Meanwhile, you can check out the following articles related to PC GPUs, CPU and GPU comparisons, mobile phones, and more:

You may also like:

Start typing and press enter to search