Hardware and setup
How to set up a DMA card, step by step
This is an overview of a DMA card setup from start to finish, so you know what to expect. You don't have to do it alone: we walk you through every step in a Discord ticket, or do it for you over remote desktop.
Before you start
- A free PCIe slot in your gaming PC.
- Access to your BIOS settings.
- A second PC with a free USB port.
- Your motherboard and CPU model, so we can check they fit before you buy.
The steps
- Check your PC: send your parts in a Discord ticket and we confirm the card and firmware fit.
- Flash the firmware: the firmware is loaded onto the card. We do this with you or tell you exactly how.
- Install the card: power off, put the card in a free PCIe slot of the gaming PC and connect its USB cable to the second PC.
- BIOS settings: depending on your firmware, settings such as IOMMU or Kernel DMA Protection may need changing. We tell you which.
- Install the software on the second PC and activate your license key.
- Optional extras: connect a fuser to see everything on one monitor, or an input device such as a Makcu.
- Test, then keep firmware and software up to date. The status page shows when a product is updating.
Want us to do it?
Remote setup starts at $15 per session: we connect to your PC and set it up with you. Bigger jobs, such as a full two-PC setup or flashing, are priced in your ticket first. See remote setup.
