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Is DMA detectable?
Short answer: yes, it can be. Anti-cheat systems look for DMA hardware, and some cards and firmware have been flagged in the past. Your risk depends mostly on the firmware on the card, the game's anti-cheat and how you play. Anyone who promises DMA can never be detected is not being honest with you.
How anti-cheat looks for DMA cards
- Known device IDs: cheap or default firmware reports the ID of a known DMA board, which is easy to flag.
- PCIe behaviour: anti-cheat can check whether a device behaves like the device it claims to be, for example how it answers configuration requests.
- Memory protection: Windows and modern PCs can restrict what PCIe devices may read (IOMMU and Kernel DMA Protection).
- Gameplay: unusual behaviour can still be noticed and reported, whatever hardware reads the memory.
What firmware changes
Firmware decides what the card tells your PC it is. Better firmware closely copies a real device, often called emulation, so the card looks like ordinary hardware. That is why the same card can work on one game and get flagged on another: the firmware does most of the work, not the card.
Why some anti-cheats are stricter
Kernel-level systems that start with Windows, such as Riot Vanguard, check hardware more strictly than others, and FACEIT and ACE are strict too. That is why our firmware comes in tiers: Basic Firmware is made for BattlEye and Ricochet (Call of Duty) games, Elite adds Easy Anti-Cheat and ACE, and the Slotted tiers add Vanguard.
Our firmware tiers
| Firmware | Made for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Firmware | BattlEye, Ricochet (Call of Duty) | $79 |
| Elite Firmware | Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), BattlEye, ACE | $159 |
| Slotted Elite | Riot Vanguard, Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), BattlEye, ACE | $259 |
| Slotted Ultimate | Riot Vanguard, Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), BattlEye, ACE | $559 |
| Option 2A | Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), BattlEye | $199 |
| Option 2B | Riot Vanguard, Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), BattlEye | $399 |
IOMMU and Kernel DMA Protection
IOMMU lets a PC limit which memory a PCIe device can reach. Many DMA setups need it turned off in the BIOS. Some firmware, such as our Option 2B, is made for AMD PCs with IOMMU restrictions, and XMA is designed to work with IOMMU turned on. We check your PC in a Discord ticket before you buy.
How to lower your risk
- Buy firmware made for your game's anti-cheat, not just the cheapest one. Which anti-cheat does my game use? helps.
- Keep firmware and software updated, and check the status page before you play.
- Consider a unique build such as Option 2A or 2B instead of shared firmware.
- Play like a person. Obvious behaviour gets reported no matter what hardware you use.
What we promise, and what we do not
Every firmware tier has a 1-month warranty that covers updates and replacements. We do not promise that any setup will never be detected, and no seller honestly can.