What Is an FPGA? Difference from ASIC and CPU
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a chip whose internal logic can be reprogrammed after manufacturing. Unlike a CPU, it doesn't execute an instruction set — instead, thousands of tiny logic blocks (LUTs, flip-flops, DSPs) are wired together from a Verilog/VHDL source synthesized by the user. The result: a custom circuit running at hardware speed.
ASICs are also custom silicon, but once produced they cannot be changed. FPGA's power lies exactly here: the same card can behave as a completely different device with a different firmware. A network adapter one day, an NVMe controller the next, a DMA card the day after that.
That is why FPGAs are critical for DMA cheats: firmware decides which identity the card presents on PCIe, and each purchase ships with its own unique firmware.
Why Xilinx Artix-7 (xc7a75t) Is the Standard
The vast majority of DMA cards use Xilinx's Artix-7 series FPGA — the most common model being xc7a75t. The reasons:
1. Hard PCIe Gen2 x4 block: Artix-7 silicon includes a built-in PCIe controller. No extra IP licensing needed for DMA.
2. Enough LUTs: xc7a75t has ~74k LUTs. DMA engine, PCIe TLP parser and ID spoof logic fit comfortably.
3. Community firmware support: pcileech, Ulf Frisk's work and its derivatives have been tested on Artix-7 for years. Moving to a new chip family is both risky and unnecessary.
4. Price: cards with the xc7a75t chip go for 150-400 USD. Significantly cheaper than Kintex-7 or UltraScale.
Captain 75T, Stark 75T, Squirrel DMA and ZDMA all carry the same FPGA — the differences are in PCB design, cooling and support level.
Captain 75T, Stark 75T, Squirrel: Which One to Buy?
Captain 75T (CaptainDMA 75T): the most widespread pre-built OEM card, sourced from China. Easiest logistics for Turkey. Good on-PCB cooling and stable power delivery. Officially supported by Core Firmware with separate builds for ASUS, MSI and Gigabyte.
Stark 75T: an alternative manufacturer of the same card. Same xc7a75t FPGA, similar PCB. Also officially supported by Core Firmware — at purchase you receive firmware tailored to your motherboard platform.
Squirrel DMA: the best-known community design. Grew from DIY culture more than finished products. Firmware support is strong, but importing is harder and secondhand quality is uneven.
ZDMA: a lesser-known alternative. Firmware is maintained by a smaller community — not recommended as a first DMA card.
Verdict: for a first DMA purchase from Turkey, Captain 75T or Stark 75T. Flashes in 2 minutes with Core Firmware and presents as an ordinary Ethernet adapter on PCIe.
How Does an FPGA Firmware Become Detectable?
There are three main ways an FPGA DMA card gets caught by anti-cheat:
1. Stock (factory) firmware: the manufacturer flashes the card as it comes out of the box. Its PCIe identity (Vendor/Device/Subsystem/Serial) matches public DMA card databases. Anti-cheat finds a direct match in the PCIe device list.
2. Community firmware: pre-built firmware that has been circulating online for years eventually gets fingerprinted. Their binaries sit in the anti-cheat's fingerprint library for comparison.
3. PCIe configuration anomalies: if the identity used isn't a real network adapter — never seen by the motherboard vendor — the vendor/device pair falls outside a "whitelist".
Core Firmware addresses all three: the identity matches your motherboard platform, each user gets a unique build, and nothing shared becomes a fingerprint.