What you're actually buying, how shady sellers operate, and critical red flags to watch for
Most so‑called "DMA cards" are standard FPGA development boards (like Xilinx AC701, Squirrel, or similar) repackaged with pre-built PCILeech bitstreams. You're not getting magic hardware; you're paying for a preconfigured research tool mis-marketed for cheating.
A legitimate FPGA board might cost $75-300 from official distributors. Sellers charge $500-2000+ for the same hardware with pre-loaded firmware. You're paying for configuration, not superior hardware.
DMA works below the OS via PCIe. Sellers claiming you need their special Windows driver are often disguising the fact it's the same PCILeech-based approach. The "driver" is marketing.
Key factors are PCIe access and DMA capability. Platform IOMMU/VT-d and proper BIOS/security settings can mitigate DMA attacks. Secure Boot and TPM do NOT need to be disabled—sellers lie about this.
Any firmware sold with the intent to bypass anti‑cheat is inherently untrustworthy. It’s built to deceive system defenses and game rules, not to keep you safe.
Resellers often sell the same build to many buyers. Mass distribution makes patterns easier for anti‑cheats to learn, leading to delayed but broad ban waves.
These terms usually mean spoofed PCIe IDs/descriptors and behavior that mimics a target device. That doesn’t make it safe or undetectable. Under the hood, most DMA cheat firmware traces back to PCILeech with minor tweaks.
There are open‑source PCILeech forks on GitHub. If your goal is to learn, review source code rather than trusting a closed Discord drop. We do not endorse cheating or any seller.
Firmware meant to bypass anti‑cheat is already shady. Discord/Telegram “sellers” avoid accountability, resell the same builds to many buyers, and vanish when bans hit. Their presence on chat apps is the point, not an accident.
Sellers who refuse to provide specific model numbers, firmware versions, or detailed specifications are hiding something. They don't want you to realize it's a rebranded dev board you can buy yourself for less.
Legitimate FPGA boards are marketed to developers and engineers, not gamers. Marketing focused on "undetectable," "bypass anti-cheat," or specific game names is a dead giveaway.
Any hardware advertised as "undetectable by anti-cheat" is explicitly designed for cheating purposes. Nothing is truly undetectable—anti-cheat technology evolves, and bans happen regularly.
Closed, unsigned, or repacked firmware can include malware or destructive behavior. DMA can read/write host memory over PCIe; a malicious image or control app could corrupt your system, steal data, or brick a machine.
Cards with removed branding, relabeled chips, or custom firmware are being concealed for a reason. They're hiding the real manufacturer so you can't research the actual hardware or find it cheaper elsewhere.
Legitimate hardware comes with warranties and support. DMA sellers typically offer no refunds, no real support, and disappear when anti-cheat updates break their product. You're on your own.
Scammers use urgency tactics: "Only 5 left!" or "Price increases tomorrow!" to pressure you into buying without research. Legitimate products don't need these tactics.
Most DMA cards are sold through private Discord servers or Telegram groups. This allows sellers to operate anonymously, avoid platform moderation, and disappear when things go wrong. These platforms offer no buyer protection.
Many sellers buy the same base hardware from Chinese suppliers, flash it with PCILeech firmware, and resell it under different brand names. Multiple "brands" may be selling identical hardware at wildly different prices.
Common lies include: claiming proprietary firmware (most trace back to PCILeech), advertising as undetectable (nothing is), “1:1 clone/emulated” implying safety (it usually means spoofed IDs/behavior), requiring Secure Boot/TPM disabled (false), and promising lifetime updates (they disappear).
When anti-cheat companies update detection methods, many sellers simply disappear with customer money. They rebrand and start over under a new name. There's no accountability or recourse.
If you're considering buying a DMA card for cheating, understand that you're entering a shady, unregulated market full of scammers and liars. You risk bans, legal issues, and losing your money.
This site exists to educate you about what these devices actually are, not to help you cheat. Make informed decisions.