diff --git a/Source/Core/Common/Src/Common.h b/Source/Core/Common/Src/Common.h
index 6cc7cf0581..8f08d8d4a7 100644
--- a/Source/Core/Common/Src/Common.h
+++ b/Source/Core/Common/Src/Common.h
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ private:
 	#define GC_ALIGNED16(x) __declspec(align(16)) x
 	#define GC_ALIGNED32(x) __declspec(align(32)) x
 	#define GC_ALIGNED64(x) __declspec(align(64)) x
+	#define GC_ALIGNED128(x) __declspec(align(128)) x
 	#define GC_ALIGNED16_DECL(x) __declspec(align(16)) x
 	#define GC_ALIGNED64_DECL(x) __declspec(align(64)) x
 
@@ -129,6 +130,7 @@ private:
 #define GC_ALIGNED16(x) __attribute__((aligned(16))) x
 #define GC_ALIGNED32(x) __attribute__((aligned(32))) x
 #define GC_ALIGNED64(x) __attribute__((aligned(64))) x
+#define GC_ALIGNED128(x) __attribute__((aligned(128))) x
 #define GC_ALIGNED16_DECL(x) __attribute__((aligned(16))) x
 #define GC_ALIGNED64_DECL(x) __attribute__((aligned(64))) x
 #endif
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoCommon/Src/DLCache.cpp b/Source/Core/VideoCommon/Src/DLCache.cpp
index 8d1a9b829b..4c3490ed01 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoCommon/Src/DLCache.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoCommon/Src/DLCache.cpp
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ u8 AnalyzeAndRunDisplayList(u32 address, int	 size, CachedDisplayList *dl)
 					u32 Cmd2 = DataReadU32();
 					int transfer_size = ((Cmd2 >> 16) & 15) + 1;
 					u32 xf_address = Cmd2 & 0xFFFF;
-					u32 data_buffer[16];
+					GC_ALIGNED128(u32 data_buffer[16]);
 					DataReadU32xFuncs[transfer_size-1](data_buffer);
 					LoadXFReg(transfer_size, xf_address, data_buffer);
 					INCSTAT(stats.thisFrame.numXFLoads);
@@ -455,10 +455,10 @@ bool CompileAndRunDisplayList(u32 address, int size, CachedDisplayList *dl)
 					ReferencedDataRegion* NewRegion = new ReferencedDataRegion;
 					NewRegion->MustClean = true;
 					NewRegion->size = transfer_size * 4;
-					NewRegion->start_address = (u8*) new u8[NewRegion->size]; 
+					NewRegion->start_address = (u8*) new u8[NewRegion->size+0xf];  // alignment
 					NewRegion->hash = 0;					
 					dl->InsertRegion(NewRegion);
-					u32 *data_buffer = (u32*)NewRegion->start_address;
+					u32 *data_buffer = (u32*)(u8*)(((size_t)NewRegion->start_address+0xf)&~0xf);
 					DataReadU32xFuncs[transfer_size-1](data_buffer);
 					LoadXFReg(transfer_size, xf_address, data_buffer);
 					INCSTAT(stats.thisFrame.numXFLoads);
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoCommon/Src/DataReader.h b/Source/Core/VideoCommon/Src/DataReader.h
index 7feb066645..96cdfc0739 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoCommon/Src/DataReader.h
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoCommon/Src/DataReader.h
@@ -83,35 +83,29 @@ const __m128i mask4 = _mm_set_epi8(12,13,14,15,8,9,10,11,4,5,6,7,0,1,2,3);
 template<unsigned int N>
 void DataReadU32xN_SSSE3(u32 *bufx16)
 {
-	__m128i* store = (__m128i *)bufx16;
-	__m128i* load =  (__m128i *)g_pVideoData;
+	memcpy(bufx16, g_pVideoData, sizeof(u32) * N);
+	__m128i* buf = (__m128i *)bufx16;
 	switch(N)
 	{
-		case 13: _mm_storeu_si128(store++, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_loadu_si128(load++), mask4));
-		case 9:  _mm_storeu_si128(store++, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_loadu_si128(load++), mask4));
-		case 5:  _mm_storeu_si128(store++, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_loadu_si128(load++), mask4));
-		case 1:	// 1 U32 left:
-			((u32 *)store)[0] = Common::swap32(((u32 *)load)[0]);
+		case 13: _mm_store_si128(buf, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_load_si128(buf), mask4)); buf++;
+		case 9:  _mm_store_si128(buf, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_load_si128(buf), mask4)); buf++;
+		case 5:  _mm_store_si128(buf, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_load_si128(buf), mask4)); buf++;
+		case 1:  _mm_store_si128(buf, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_load_si128(buf), mask1));
 			break;
-		case 14: _mm_storeu_si128(store++, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_loadu_si128(load++), mask4));
-		case 10: _mm_storeu_si128(store++, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_loadu_si128(load++), mask4));
-		case 6:  _mm_storeu_si128(store++, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_loadu_si128(load++), mask4));
-		case 2:	// 2 U32s left:
-			((u32 *)store)[0] = Common::swap32(((u32 *)load)[0]);
-			((u32 *)store)[1] = Common::swap32(((u32 *)load)[1]);
+		case 14: _mm_store_si128(buf, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_load_si128(buf), mask4)); buf++;
+		case 10: _mm_store_si128(buf, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_load_si128(buf), mask4)); buf++;
+		case 6:  _mm_store_si128(buf, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_load_si128(buf), mask4)); buf++;
+		case 2:  _mm_store_si128(buf, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_load_si128(buf), mask2));
 			break;
-		case 15: _mm_storeu_si128(store++, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_loadu_si128(load++), mask4));
-		case 11: _mm_storeu_si128(store++, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_loadu_si128(load++), mask4));
-		case 7:  _mm_storeu_si128(store++, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_loadu_si128(load++), mask4));
-		case 3:	// 3 U32s left:
-			((u32 *)store)[0] = Common::swap32(((u32 *)load)[0]);
-			((u32 *)store)[1] = Common::swap32(((u32 *)load)[1]);
-			((u32 *)store)[2] = Common::swap32(((u32 *)load)[2]);
+		case 15: _mm_store_si128(buf, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_load_si128(buf), mask4)); buf++;
+		case 11: _mm_store_si128(buf, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_load_si128(buf), mask4)); buf++;
+		case 7:  _mm_store_si128(buf, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_load_si128(buf), mask4)); buf++;
+		case 3:  _mm_store_si128(buf, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_load_si128(buf), mask3));
 			break;
-		case 16: _mm_storeu_si128(store++, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_loadu_si128(load++), mask4));
-		case 12: _mm_storeu_si128(store++, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_loadu_si128(load++), mask4));
-		case 8:  _mm_storeu_si128(store++, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_loadu_si128(load++), mask4));
-		case 4:  _mm_storeu_si128(store,   _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_loadu_si128(load),   mask4));
+		case 16: _mm_store_si128(buf, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_load_si128(buf), mask4)); buf++;
+		case 12: _mm_store_si128(buf, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_load_si128(buf), mask4)); buf++;
+		case 8:  _mm_store_si128(buf, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_load_si128(buf), mask4)); buf++;
+		case 4:  _mm_store_si128(buf, _mm_shuffle_epi8(_mm_load_si128(buf), mask4));
 			break;
 	}
 	g_pVideoData += (sizeof(u32) * N);
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoCommon/Src/OpcodeDecoding.cpp b/Source/Core/VideoCommon/Src/OpcodeDecoding.cpp
index 3555f1fba1..8b7564158a 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoCommon/Src/OpcodeDecoding.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoCommon/Src/OpcodeDecoding.cpp
@@ -364,8 +364,7 @@ static void DecodeSemiNop()
             u32 Cmd2 = DataReadU32();
             int transfer_size = ((Cmd2 >> 16) & 15) + 1;
             u32 address = Cmd2 & 0xFFFF;
-			// TODO - speed this up. pshufb?
-            u32 data_buffer[16];
+            GC_ALIGNED128(u32 data_buffer[16]);
             DataReadU32xFuncs[transfer_size-1](data_buffer);
             LoadXFReg(transfer_size, address, data_buffer);
             INCSTAT(stats.thisFrame.numXFLoads);