DMA guides & real answers

DMA stands for Direct Memory Access. Normally when something in your PC needs info from your RAM, it has to go through your CPU first. A DMA card skips that line and reads the memory directly.

The tech itself isn't new or shady. It's been used for years in hardware testing, debugging and forensics work. What makes it a thing in gaming is that the card sits inside your gaming PC and sends what it reads over to a second computer.

So your gaming PC just plays the game like normal, and everything else happens on the other machine. That one detail is the whole reason people go DMA instead of a regular menu.

With a regular menu, the game and the menu run on the same PC, right next to each other. Whatever is watching your PC can see the menu sitting right there.

With DMA, the menu doesn't run on your gaming PC at all. It runs on your second computer, and the DMA card is what feeds it the game info. Your gaming PC is basically just... a gaming PC.

In game, the features can feel pretty similar either way. The real difference is where the software lives. That's why people who actually care about keeping their account end up on DMA.

That said, nothing is ever 100%. More on that in the real talk section below. Anyone promising you zero risk is selling you a dream.

Yep, no way around it. DMA is a two-PC setup.

PC #1 is your gaming PC. That's where you play and where the DMA card goes.

PC #2 can be a second desktop or a laptop. That's what runs the software.

Good news is the second machine doesn't need to be a beast. It's not running the game, it's just running the menu. A lot of people use an older laptop they already had lying around.

A lot of the time, yeah. It doesn't need a crazy graphics card or anything like that.

The main thing is the processor. Some DMA software needs a CPU that supports something called AVX2, which most chips from the last several years have, but really old ones might not. You'll also want a free USB port and enough RAM that it's not choking.

Easiest move: send us your laptop model in the Discord before you buy and we'll tell you straight up if it'll work. Way better than finding out after.

In your gaming PC, in a free PCIe slot. Same type of slot your graphics card uses, just usually a smaller one. Then a cable runs from the card over to your second PC.

If you've ever installed a GPU or a WiFi card, you'll be fine. And if you've never opened your PC before, don't stress. It's a lot less scary than it sounds, and we'll walk you through it.

Honestly it comes down to how plug-and-play you want it and what you're already working with.

If you already own some of the gear, you might not need the full bundle. If you're starting from zero and just want something that works out of the box, go with a bigger bundle so you're not hunting for parts later. Every bundle page lists exactly what's in the box.

Still can't decide? Hop in the Discord and tell us what you play and what PC you've got. We'll point you to the right one, even if it's the cheaper option.

Firmware is the software that lives on the DMA card itself. It's basically what tells your PC what the card is.

Shared firmware is the same firmware used by a bunch of different people. Custom (1:1) firmware is made just for you, so it's not floating around on a hundred other cards.

We do custom firmware for COD, BattlEye and ACE games. If you play one of those and you plan to use your setup for the long haul, custom is the move. Not sure which you need? Ask us before you order and we'll match it to your games.

A KMBox is a little device that sits between your mouse and keyboard and your gaming PC. It lets your second PC send inputs that look like they're coming from your actual mouse.

Not everybody needs one. It depends on which features you're planning to use. If you're not sure, ask us and we'll tell you if it's worth it for your setup or if you can skip it and save the money.

A fuser takes the picture from both of your PCs and layers them onto one monitor. So you see your game, and the overlay from your second PC shows up right on top of it.

Without one, you'd have to look at a separate screen for your second PC, which gets old real fast in the middle of a match.

It's not technically required, but almost everyone ends up wanting one. We've got a full step-by-step setup guide with what every light on it means.

For a lot of newer games, yeah. Call of Duty and Battlefield now want Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 turned on before they'll even let you play.

These are security features built into your PC's motherboard. Most PCs from the last few years have them, they're just not always switched on.

Before you order, tell us what you play so we can make sure your whole setup lines up. We also wrote a full breakdown of what these features actually do.

That depends on the software and firmware you're running, and support changes as games update.

Rather than give you a list that might be out of date next week, just ask us in the Discord. Tell us the exact game and we'll give you a straight answer.

It's way easier than people think. The basic flow:

1. Install the DMA card in your gaming PC.

2. Connect the card to your second PC.

3. Hook up your fuser if you have one.

4. Get the software running on your second PC.

Most people are surprised how quick it is. And if you get stuck at any step, we're right there.

100%. Once you've got your order, open a ticket in our Discord and we'll walk you through it.

Tell us what you bought and where you're at, and we'll take it from there. No such thing as a dumb question in there.

Don't panic, this is almost always a quick fix. Go down this list:

Check the monitor. Make sure the fuser's HDMI OUT is plugged into your monitor and your monitor is on the right input.

Check the power. The D1 light should be on. If it's not, the fuser isn't getting power.

Check the signal lights. H1 means it sees your gaming PC. H2 means it sees your second PC. If one's off, reseat that cable.

Use your graphics card port. Plug your gaming PC into the HDMI on your graphics card, not the one on the motherboard.

Still black? Send us your fuser model and a pic of the lights in the Discord.

Missing overlay: make sure your second PC is plugged into HDMI 2 and that fusion mode is turned on. The D2 light should be lit.

Misaligned: both PCs need to be on the same resolution. Set them both to 1920x1080 at 60Hz to start, get it working, then bump it up if you want.

Flickering: try a lower refresh rate and double check every cable. Cheap or damaged HDMI cables cause this a lot.

We get orders out as fast as we can. Once it ships, you'll get a tracking number by email.

If it's been longer than you expected, message us in the Discord with your order number and we'll check on it.

Every payment option we accept shows up at checkout. If you don't see the one you want, ask us in the Discord.

Reach out first. Seriously. We'd way rather fix it than have you stuck with something that doesn't work.

Check our refund policy page for the full details, and hit us up in the Discord with your order number.

Real answer: yes, it's possible. Any third-party tool comes with some risk, and nobody can honestly promise you'll never get banned.

Game devs update their anti-cheat all the time. DMA keeps the software off your gaming PC, which is a big part of why people choose it, but it's not magic.

Only run what you're okay risking on that account. If a seller tells you there's zero risk, that should be a red flag, not a selling point.

The hardware itself isn't illegal. DMA cards are used every day for hardware development, debugging and research.

Using it in online games is a different story. It breaks pretty much every game's terms of service, and that can cost you your account. Just know what you're getting into.