diff --git a/3rdparty/bzip2/bzip2.vcproj b/3rdparty/bzip2/bzip2.vcproj
index 74f0a8036d..37821de9b7 100644
--- a/3rdparty/bzip2/bzip2.vcproj
+++ b/3rdparty/bzip2/bzip2.vcproj
@@ -98,8 +98,13 @@
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCCLCompilerTool"
 				Optimization="2"
+				InlineFunctionExpansion="2"
 				EnableIntrinsicFunctions="true"
+				FavorSizeOrSpeed="1"
+				OmitFramePointers="true"
+				StringPooling="true"
 				RuntimeLibrary="0"
+				BufferSecurityCheck="false"
 				EnableFunctionLevelLinking="true"
 				WarningLevel="3"
 				DebugInformationFormat="3"
@@ -157,8 +162,13 @@
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCCLCompilerTool"
 				Optimization="2"
+				InlineFunctionExpansion="2"
 				EnableIntrinsicFunctions="true"
+				FavorSizeOrSpeed="1"
+				OmitFramePointers="true"
+				StringPooling="true"
 				RuntimeLibrary="0"
+				BufferSecurityCheck="false"
 				EnableFunctionLevelLinking="true"
 				WarningLevel="3"
 				DebugInformationFormat="3"
diff --git a/3rdparty/zlib/zlib.vcproj b/3rdparty/zlib/zlib.vcproj
index 00b4eb007a..b0d9946569 100644
--- a/3rdparty/zlib/zlib.vcproj
+++ b/3rdparty/zlib/zlib.vcproj
@@ -98,9 +98,12 @@
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCCLCompilerTool"
 				Optimization="2"
+				InlineFunctionExpansion="2"
 				EnableIntrinsicFunctions="true"
+				FavorSizeOrSpeed="1"
+				OmitFramePointers="true"
+				StringPooling="true"
 				RuntimeLibrary="0"
-				EnableFunctionLevelLinking="true"
 				WarningLevel="3"
 				DebugInformationFormat="3"
 			/>
@@ -157,9 +160,12 @@
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCCLCompilerTool"
 				Optimization="2"
+				InlineFunctionExpansion="2"
 				EnableIntrinsicFunctions="true"
+				FavorSizeOrSpeed="1"
+				OmitFramePointers="true"
+				StringPooling="true"
 				RuntimeLibrary="0"
-				EnableFunctionLevelLinking="true"
 				WarningLevel="3"
 				DebugInformationFormat="3"
 			/>
diff --git a/pcsx2/x86/ix86/ix86_sse.inl b/pcsx2/x86/ix86/ix86_sse.inl
index 0b569eba7e..25968c13b4 100644
--- a/pcsx2/x86/ix86/ix86_sse.inl
+++ b/pcsx2/x86/ix86/ix86_sse.inl
@@ -22,6 +22,14 @@
 // SSE instructions
 //------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+// This tells the recompiler's emitter to always use movaps instead of movdqa.  Both instructions
+// do the exact same thing, but movaps is 1 byte shorter, and thus results in a cleaner L1 cache
+// and some marginal speed gains as a result.  (it's possible someday in the future the per-
+// formance of the two instructions could change, so this constant is provided to restore MOVDQA
+// use easily at a later time, if needed).
+
+static const bool AlwaysUseMovaps = true;
+
 #define SSEMtoR( code, overb ) \
 	assert( to < XMMREGS ) ; \
 	RexR(0, to);             \
@@ -203,19 +211,29 @@ emitterT void eSSE_MOVAPSRtoRmOffset( x86IntRegType to, x86SSERegType from, int
 // movdqa [r32+offset] to r32
 emitterT void eSSE2_MOVDQARmtoROffset( x86SSERegType to, x86IntRegType from, int offset )
 {
-	write8<I>(0x66);
-    RexRB(0, to, from);
-	write16<I>( 0x6f0f );
-    WriteRmOffsetFrom<I>(to, from, offset);
+	if( AlwaysUseMovaps )
+		eSSE_MOVAPSRmtoROffset<I>( to, from, offset );
+	else
+	{
+		write8<I>(0x66);
+		RexRB(0, to, from);
+		write16<I>( 0x6f0f );
+		WriteRmOffsetFrom<I>(to, from, offset);
+	}
 }
 
 // movdqa r32 to [r32+offset]
 emitterT void eSSE2_MOVDQARtoRmOffset( x86IntRegType to, x86SSERegType from, int offset ) 
 {
-	write8<I>(0x66);
-    RexRB(0, from, to);
-	write16<I>( 0x7f0f );
-    WriteRmOffsetFrom<I>(from, to, offset);
+	if( AlwaysUseMovaps )
+		eSSE_MOVAPSRtoRmOffset<I>( to, from, offset );
+	else
+	{
+		write8<I>(0x66);
+		RexRB(0, from, to);
+		write16<I>( 0x7f0f );
+		WriteRmOffsetFrom<I>(from, to, offset);
+	}
 }
 
 // movups [r32+offset] to r32
@@ -833,13 +851,30 @@ emitterT void eSSE2_PXOR_XMM_to_XMM( x86SSERegType to, x86SSERegType from )		{ S
 emitterT void eSSE2_PXOR_M128_to_XMM( x86SSERegType to, uptr from )				{ SSEMtoR66( 0xEF0F ) }; 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-emitterT void eSSE2_MOVDQA_M128_to_XMM(x86SSERegType to, uptr from)				{ SSEMtoR66(0x6F0F); }
-emitterT void eSSE2_MOVDQA_XMM_to_M128( uptr to, x86SSERegType from )			{ SSERtoM66(0x7F0F); } 
-emitterT void eSSE2_MOVDQA_XMM_to_XMM( x86SSERegType to, x86SSERegType from)	{ if (to != from) { SSERtoR66(0x6F0F); } }
+emitterT void eSSE2_MOVDQA_M128_to_XMM(x86SSERegType to, uptr from)				{ if( AlwaysUseMovaps ) eSSE_MOVAPS_M128_to_XMM<I>( to, from ); else SSEMtoR66(0x6F0F); }
+emitterT void eSSE2_MOVDQA_XMM_to_M128( uptr to, x86SSERegType from )			{ if( AlwaysUseMovaps ) eSSE_MOVAPS_XMM_to_M128<I>( to, from ); else SSERtoM66(0x7F0F); } 
+emitterT void eSSE2_MOVDQA_XMM_to_XMM( x86SSERegType to, x86SSERegType from)	{ if (to != from) { if( AlwaysUseMovaps ) eSSE_MOVAPS_XMM_to_XMM<I>( to, from ); else SSERtoR66(0x6F0F); } }
 
-emitterT void eSSE2_MOVDQU_M128_to_XMM(x86SSERegType to, uptr from)				{ write8<I>(0xF3); SSEMtoR(0x6F0F, 0); }
-emitterT void eSSE2_MOVDQU_XMM_to_M128( uptr to, x86SSERegType from)			{ write8<I>(0xF3); SSERtoM(0x7F0F, 0); }
-emitterT void eSSE2_MOVDQU_XMM_to_XMM( x86SSERegType to, x86SSERegType from)	{ write8<I>(0xF3); SSERtoR(0x6F0F); }
+emitterT void eSSE2_MOVDQU_M128_to_XMM(x86SSERegType to, uptr from)
+{
+	if( AlwaysUseMovaps )
+		eSSE_MOVUPS_M128_to_XMM<I>( to, from );
+	else
+	{
+		write8<I>(0xF3);
+		SSEMtoR(0x6F0F, 0);
+	}
+}
+emitterT void eSSE2_MOVDQU_XMM_to_M128( uptr to, x86SSERegType from)
+{
+	if( AlwaysUseMovaps )
+		eSSE_MOVUPS_XMM_to_M128<I>( to, from );
+	else
+	{
+		write8<I>(0xF3);
+		SSERtoM(0x7F0F, 0);
+	}
+}
 
 // shift right logical
 
diff --git a/pcsx2/x86/ix86/ix86_sse_helpers.h b/pcsx2/x86/ix86/ix86_sse_helpers.h
index 1e0a132307..7561e5f96f 100644
--- a/pcsx2/x86/ix86/ix86_sse_helpers.h
+++ b/pcsx2/x86/ix86/ix86_sse_helpers.h
@@ -26,54 +26,51 @@
 #error Dependency fail: Please define _EmitterId_ and include ix86.h first.
 #endif
 
+// Added AlwaysUseMovaps check to the relevant functions here, which helps reduce the
+// overhead of dynarec instructions that use these.
+
 static __forceinline void SSEX_MOVDQA_M128_to_XMM( x86SSERegType to, uptr from )
 {
-	if( g_xmmtypes[to] == XMMT_INT ) SSE2_MOVDQA_M128_to_XMM(to, from);
+	if( !AlwaysUseMovaps && g_xmmtypes[to] == XMMT_INT ) SSE2_MOVDQA_M128_to_XMM(to, from);
 	else SSE_MOVAPS_M128_to_XMM(to, from);
 }
 
 static __forceinline void SSEX_MOVDQA_XMM_to_M128( uptr to, x86SSERegType from )
 {
-	if( g_xmmtypes[from] == XMMT_INT ) SSE2_MOVDQA_XMM_to_M128(to, from);
+	if( !AlwaysUseMovaps && g_xmmtypes[from] == XMMT_INT ) SSE2_MOVDQA_XMM_to_M128(to, from);
 	else SSE_MOVAPS_XMM_to_M128(to, from);
 }
 
 static __forceinline void SSEX_MOVDQA_XMM_to_XMM( x86SSERegType to, x86SSERegType from )
 {
-	if( g_xmmtypes[from] == XMMT_INT ) SSE2_MOVDQA_XMM_to_XMM(to, from);
+	if( !AlwaysUseMovaps && g_xmmtypes[from] == XMMT_INT ) SSE2_MOVDQA_XMM_to_XMM(to, from);
 	else SSE_MOVAPS_XMM_to_XMM(to, from);
 }
 
 static __forceinline void SSEX_MOVDQARmtoROffset( x86SSERegType to, x86IntRegType from, int offset )
 {
-	if( g_xmmtypes[to] == XMMT_INT ) SSE2_MOVDQARmtoROffset(to, from, offset);
+	if( !AlwaysUseMovaps && g_xmmtypes[to] == XMMT_INT ) SSE2_MOVDQARmtoROffset(to, from, offset);
 	else SSE_MOVAPSRmtoROffset(to, from, offset);
 }
 
 static __forceinline void SSEX_MOVDQARtoRmOffset( x86IntRegType to, x86SSERegType from, int offset )
 {
-	if( g_xmmtypes[from] == XMMT_INT ) SSE2_MOVDQARtoRmOffset(to, from, offset);
+	if( !AlwaysUseMovaps && g_xmmtypes[from] == XMMT_INT ) SSE2_MOVDQARtoRmOffset(to, from, offset);
 	else SSE_MOVAPSRtoRmOffset(to, from, offset);
 }
 
 static __forceinline void SSEX_MOVDQU_M128_to_XMM( x86SSERegType to, uptr from )
 {
-	if( g_xmmtypes[to] == XMMT_INT ) SSE2_MOVDQU_M128_to_XMM(to, from);
+	if( !AlwaysUseMovaps && g_xmmtypes[to] == XMMT_INT ) SSE2_MOVDQU_M128_to_XMM(to, from);
 	else SSE_MOVAPS_M128_to_XMM(to, from);
 }
 
 static __forceinline void SSEX_MOVDQU_XMM_to_M128( uptr to, x86SSERegType from )
 {
-	if( g_xmmtypes[from] == XMMT_INT ) SSE2_MOVDQU_XMM_to_M128(to, from);
+	if( !AlwaysUseMovaps && g_xmmtypes[from] == XMMT_INT ) SSE2_MOVDQU_XMM_to_M128(to, from);
 	else SSE_MOVAPS_XMM_to_M128(to, from);
 }
 
-static __forceinline void SSEX_MOVDQU_XMM_to_XMM( x86SSERegType to, x86SSERegType from )
-{
-	if( g_xmmtypes[from] == XMMT_INT ) SSE2_MOVDQU_XMM_to_XMM(to, from);
-	else SSE_MOVAPS_XMM_to_XMM(to, from);
-}
-
 static __forceinline void SSEX_MOVD_M32_to_XMM( x86SSERegType to, uptr from )
 {
 	if( g_xmmtypes[to] == XMMT_INT ) SSE2_MOVD_M32_to_XMM(to, from);