Quick answer: wait once, then compare two unchanged launches

2K estimates roughly ten minutes for shader compilation on most PCs. A graphics-settings change can trigger another pass, so seeing compilation after a change does not by itself prove a broken cache. If it takes unusually long, restart the game and PC, let one pass finish, and test a second launch without changing graphics settings or the driver.

Keep a simple record: driver version, settings changed, time to finish, and whether the next unchanged launch repeats the same delay. This separates a one-off rebuild from a reproducible loop before you delete anything.

1. Finish the pass and keep settings unchanged

  • Let the first compilation finish before joining a co-op session.
  • Avoid adjusting several graphics options between tests. Change one setting, apply it, then compare again.
  • After changing graphics, play for at least 15 minutes before judging performance, as the official guide recommends.
  • If the bar is still taking an excessive time, close BL4 normally, reboot Windows, and try once more. If the application actually crashes, use the startup-crash checklist.

An elapsed time over ten minutes is a reason to investigate, not a universal threshold proving one specific bug.

2. Update through the GPU vendor

Use your GPU vendor’s current supported driver rather than copying an old version number from a guide. Install the driver, reboot if requested, then expect a fresh shader pass. Record this as a new baseline; comparing the post-update first launch to a warm launch from the old driver is misleading.

Close capture overlays and third-party graphics injectors for the comparison. If the issue began after adding a mod or DLL replacement, restore the stock installation and use Steam or Epic’s file verification before investigating the cache.

3. NVIDIA: clear only the cache the official guide names

If the unchanged-launch test still fails, close the game and other graphics applications. The official guide identifies this folder:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\NVIDIA\DXCache

Open it in File Explorer. 2K’s instructions say to remove the large files over 10 MB from this cache. If Windows says a file is in use, leave it alone; do not force-delete it or take ownership of system folders. The next launch will need to rebuild shaders, so the immediate next launch is not a warm-cache test.

This can also remove cached shaders used by other programs. It is not a character-save folder. Do not substitute an unrelated Oak2 folder or delete the whole Documents game directory.

4. AMD: use Reset Shader Cache

Open AMD Adrenalin → Gaming → Graphics, scroll to the bottom, and choose Reset Shader Cache. Close the game before doing this. This resets the shader cache for other applications too, and a fresh compile afterward is expected.

After rebuilding, restart BL4 again with the same settings. If the loop persists, repeated cache clearing only guarantees more cold compilations; move to evidence collection instead.

5. Verify files and isolate what changed

In Steam, use Library → Borderlands 4 → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity. In Epic, use the game’s three-dot menu → Manage → Verify. Then repeat the same two-launch test.

If the problem appears only after a driver updater, cleanup utility, or graphics preset tool runs, pause that specific scheduled cleanup for a comparison. Do not disable antivirus protection or add broad disk exclusions based on an unverified guess. The useful evidence is whether one identified change explains the repeated rebuild.

FAQ

Should I clear the cache on every launch? No. A cleared cache has to be rebuilt. Clear it as a recovery test, then compare a later unchanged launch.

Should I add launch flags to skip shaders? This checklist has no verified shader-skip flag. Remove experimental flags while establishing the stock baseline.

Can I delete my saves to fix compilation? No save deletion is part of these steps. 2K identifies the PC game-data root as Documents\My Games\Borderlands 4; keep a dated backup before investigating files there.

Compilation finished but gameplay still hitches? Continue with the low-FPS and stuttering diagnostic or DLSS menu checks.

Source and reporting a remaining problem

This checklist follows the official PC troubleshooting guide, checked October 18, 2026. It is a diagnostic sequence, not a promise that one step fixes every PC. Record your CPU, GPU, driver, resolution, game version, exact error and the result of each test. Send those details with DxDiag and MSinfo to Borderlands Support if the problem remains.