Quick & Easy DMA Buying Guide

Due to the volume of messages I receive regarding hardware and firmware recommendations, I made this guide so everything is in one place. I'm tired of retyping the same info each time - use this as your go-to resource when buying your first setup. I’m not covering setup here. There are plenty of guides, videos, and even communities you can pay for help if you’re so technologically illiterate that you can’t follow a video.

Important - I’m not going to directly link any markets to avoid moderators fucking with my thread. Just Google the suggested markets and you’ll find them.

Important - When purchasing from the listed markets, treat it like Amazon: choose sellers with good ratings and high sales volume. Example - [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]

1. DMA Card

• AliExpress
• Sugargoo
• Taobao

You’ll notice numbers like 35T, 75T, and 100T. In simple terms, think map size: 35T for a small map, 75T for a large map, and 100T if you’re planning ahead.

Contrary to what every drop-shipper (reseller) claims - that these cards are “knock-offs” or “illegitimate” - they’re not. Drop-shippers buy their cards from sellers in mainland China, then mark them up before selling them to you. By purchasing directly from the markets above, you’re essentially buying from the same source while cutting out the middleman. Don’t be fooled by the branded faceplates, it’s the exact same card underneath.

The only real benefit of buying from a drop-shipper is that they often perform quality assurance on each batch, which slightly lowers the odds of receiving a defective card. That said, in years of testing and helping others set up their cards, I’ve yet to meet anyone who received a defective unit directly from those markets.

2. Fuser

• AliExpress
• Sugargoo
• Taobao

The fuser you need depends on your screen resolution. For example, if you play on an ultrawide @ 3440x1440 @ 144Hz (or higher), you’ll need a D60 or DC500. Keep in mind the DC500 requires a strong secondary PC with a 3000-series GPU or better. Otherwise, you'll likely experience ESP issues.

If you use a standard resolution, find a fuser on one of the markets above that supports your input (DP or HDMI).

3. Aim Controller

• AliExpress
• Sugargoo
• Taobao
• Xferrum
• XIM

Avoid: Kmbox.
Recommended: Makcu, Teensy, or Ferrum. If you use a controller, get a XIM.

A Makcu is very easy to set up - Google “Makcu Discord” and you’ll find guides and the required firmware. The community is helpful and setup should be smooth.

4. Second PC

• AliExpress
• Sugargoo
• Best Buy
• Amazon
• Taobao
• eBay

This really doesn’t matter. You can buy from anywhere. If you’re not using an ultrawide monitor, most mini PCs or laptops will work just fine. I usually suggest checking eBay for a cheap used laptop with a 3000-series GPU.

5. Firmware

• Build your own
• Ekknod (free; not for EAC other than Arc Raiders)
• BDE (cheap; not for EAC other than Arc Raiders)
• Ithaclan (cheap; not for EAC other than Arc Raiders)
• Rie (cheap; not for EAC other than Arc Raiders)

I generally don’t recommend buying firmware. 99% of firmware sellers are either scammers, or sell pooled and-or partially open-source builds that will need replacing in months.

If you want to build your own (highly recommended): [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] - great starting point. There are also many YouTube guides if you're a visual learner.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: READ THE SPOILER ⚠️

Really appreciate you making this thread to clarify things further.

Just a quick question regarding the use of a fuser on ultra wide at the specs that you described which is also what I'm running. However, my secondary PC is actually my rather beefy gaming laptop that runs at a resolution of 2560 x 1600 @[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]hz. Would that still limit the use of my fuser on my ultra wide? I would be forced to use my laptops resolution?

What would be a way of getting around that for it work on my ultra wide resolution?

Quote:

Originally Posted by HyruleWarrior1 Really appreciate you making this thread to clarify things further. Just a quick question regarding the use of a fuser on ultra wide at the specs that you described which is also what I'm running. However, my secondary PC is actually my rather beefy gaming laptop that runs at a resolution of 2560 x 1600 @[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]hz. Would that still limit the use of my fuser on my ultra wide? I would be forced to use my laptops resolution? What would be a way of getting around that for it work on my ultra wide resolution?

Do you know what GPU your second laptop is running?

The DC500 pulls noticeably more resources than the D60, so the GPU you’re using plays a big role in how well it performs at higher resolutions and refresh rates. Without knowing the exact GPU, it’s hard to say for sure what to expect.

For reference:

DC500 has been tested to support:
4K @ 144Hz
2K @ 300Hz
1080p @ 480Hz

With AMD 6000 series or newer GPUs, the fuser can push even further:
4K @ 160Hz
2K @ 360Hz
1080p @ 600Hz

Dichen notes that with the DC500, Nvidia GPUs can be limited by DSC compression protocols, which may restrict maximum refresh rates, but I haven’t personally encountered that issue.

D60 tested results:
3440×1440: Minimum 144Hz, Maximum 180Hz
3840×1080: up to 120Hz
3840×2160: up to 120Hz

I’m running a 4090 in second PC and have both the DC500 and D60. I haven’t experienced any of the listed limitations, though I mainly play on a 34” display.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0x41^4 Do you know what GPU your second laptop is running? The DC500 pulls noticeably more resources than the D60, so the GPU you’re using plays a big role in how well it performs at higher resolutions and refresh rates. Without knowing the exact GPU, it’s hard to say for sure what to expect. For reference: DC500 has been tested to support: 4K @ 144Hz 2K @ 300Hz 1080p @ 480Hz With AMD 6000 series or newer GPUs, the fuser can push even further: 4K @ 160Hz 2K @ 360Hz 1080p @ 600Hz Dichen notes that with the DC500, Nvidia GPUs can be limited by DSC compression protocols, which may restrict maximum refresh rates, but I haven’t personally encountered that issue. D60 tested results: 3440×1440: Minimum 144Hz, Maximum 180Hz 3840×1080: up to 120Hz 3840×2160: up to 120Hz I’m running a 4090 in second PC and have both the DC500 and D60. I haven’t experienced any of the listed limitations, though I mainly play on a 34” display.

Yeah I think my laptop should handle the dc500 alright, running it on a 5090 mobile GPU while my main PC is on a 4090 (desktop).

Just the main concern right now being the difference in resolutions from my laptop display being 2560x1600 and my main PC's ultra wide monitor being at 3440x1440. I would need to get the resolution the same on both right? That would mean limiting the resolution on my ultra wide.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HyruleWarrior1 Yeah I think my laptop should handle the dc500 alright, running it on a 5090 mobile GPU while my main PC is on a 4090 (desktop). Just the main concern right now being the difference in resolutions from my laptop display being 2560x1600 and my main PC's ultra wide monitor being at 3440x1440. I would need to get the resolution the same on both right? That would mean limiting the resolution on my ultra wide.

If your laptop maxes out at 2560 x 1600 while your monitor runs at 3440 x 1440, the fuser won’t merge properly, you’ll need to match the lower resolution.

If the laptop has a 5090, it should be able to output 3440 x 1440. What model is it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0x41^4 If your laptop maxes out at 2560 x 1600 while your monitor runs at 3440 x 1440, the fuser won’t merge properly, you’ll need to match the lower resolution. If the laptop has a 5090, it should be able to output 3440 x 1440. What model is it?

I mean it certainly can output the UW resolution when I connect it directly to my monitor. But in this case, with it being connected to the fuser... I'll be limited to the lower resolution of my laptop. Not sure how to solve that issue so that it would run at full UW.
What's your suggestion?

The laptop model is the XMG Neo 16 A25 with the 9955HX3D

Quote:

Originally Posted by HyruleWarrior1 I mean it certainly can output the UW resolution when I connect it directly to my monitor. But in this case, with it being connected to the fuser... I'll be limited to the lower resolution of my laptop. Not sure how to solve that issue so that it would run at full UW. What's your suggestion? The laptop model is the XMG Neo 16 A25 with the 9955HX3D

You’re solid - running 3440 x 1440 with a DC500 won’t be an issue at all.

This is great my man. Appreciate the guide. Mind guiding me to the official source / website for Stella? Wanna be sure I'm purchasing from the legit source.

I've seen you recommend Cypros for FW before does that still stand? Stella is basically all under maintenance except for their EAC version with the other ones being 800-1500euros.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomorals I've seen you recommend Cypros for FW before does that still stand? Stella is basically all under maintenance except for their EAC version with the other ones being 800-1500euros.

I've heard from another source that Cyp were shady to deal with... Take from that what you will. I don't know either. That's the fw market for ya'.

I use 2560x1440p 160Hertz

i have a second pc it has a Ryzen7 5800x 16gs of ram
and a raedon Hd6950 its a 3gb vram card 10 years old just something i stuck in it

doing some research on what dma card i should buy with the hardware i have on hand recommendations would be very helpful

my main pc is a 6650xt with a i5 12400f 32gs of ram

Quote:

Originally Posted by HyruleWarrior1 I've heard from another source that Cyp were shady to deal with... Take from that what you will. I don't know either. That's the fw market for ya'.

Exactly this. For whatever reason, there are very few firmware developers who stick to a truly “straight and narrow” approach when it comes to their products and sales. Too often, we see developers cut corners to speed things up and push more sales, even if it increases risk for the customer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vonburic I use 2560x1440p 160Hertz i have a second pc it has a Ryzen7 5800x 16gs of ram and a raedon Hd6950 its a 3gb vram card 10 years old just something i stuck in it doing some research on what dma card i should buy with the hardware i have on hand recommendations would be very helpful my main pc is a 6650xt with a i5 12400f 32gs of ram

The card itself isn’t what matters here, the fuser is. In your case, you’ll want a D60. If you upgraded to the DC500, you’d need a new GPU, but it would essentially future-proof your setup.

I apologize in advance but a question if I may, I'm very new to this.

Is the firmware in question e.g. (Stella) gets to be used regardless of the DMA cheat for various games or would it need to be changed as well.

For example: different firmware and DMA cheats or BF6 and Arc Raiders?

Quote:

Originally Posted by w00tness I apologize in advance but a question if I may, I'm very new to this. Is the firmware in question e.g. (Stella) gets to be used regardless of the DMA cheat for various games or would it need to be changed as well. For example: different firmware and DMA cheats or BF6 and Arc Raiders?

The firmware itself stays the same, as long as it supports the anti-cheat used by the game you’re buying for.

For instance, Stella’s basic firmware will cover Ricochet, Javelin, and BattlEye titles like Call of Duty, Battlefield 6, and Escape from Tarkov.

If you go with their EAC version, it includes everything above plus support for EAC-protected games such as Arc Raiders and others.

Thank you sir, that makes sense now.