Can you use a DMA card with only one PC?

No, you can't run a DMA card with only one computer. The card goes in the PC you play on, and the software has to run on a second machine. That one can be cheap and old.

Why it needs a second computer

The card reads memory from the PC you play on and sends it over a USB cable. Something on the other end has to receive it and run the software. If the software ran on the PC you play on, you'd be back to a software cheat.

Can a virtual machine be the second computer?

No. A virtual machine is a program on your PC, using that PC's processor and memory. A second copy of Windows on the same PC is the same thing. Either way it's still the PC you play on.

What counts as a second computer

Any PC with Windows 10 or 11, 4 cores or more, 8GB of memory, an SSD and a USB 3 port works. That's what Blurred asks for. 16GB is comfortable. Skip anything with 2 cores. Nothing goes inside it, so it needs no free slot.

• An old desktop.
  Hardware from ten years ago is fine if it has USB 3.
• An old laptop.
  Fine for every build except MiTM. The card goes in your main PC, not the laptop. It needs a real USB 3 port.
• A used office mini PC.
  The cheapest thing to buy if you have nothing spare. What to buy lists the models and what they cost.

What does not work

• A phone, an iPad or an Android tablet.
  They don't run Windows, so the software doesn't run on them.
• A Chromebook.
  It runs ChromeOS, not Windows.
• A Raspberry Pi.
  Raspberry Pi OS is Linux, and Blurred doesn't run on Linux.
• A Steam Deck on SteamOS.
  SteamOS is Linux. Valve does publish Windows drivers for the Deck, but whether a Deck running Windows works as a second computer: TBD.
• A Mac.
  Macs with Apple chips can't install Windows the normal way. Whether a Windows virtual machine on a Mac works: TBD. Intel Macs running Windows through Boot Camp: TBD.

Your main PC shouldn't be a laptop either, because the card needs a PCIe slot. Can I use a DMA card with a laptop? covers which machine goes where.

One monitor, one keyboard, one mouse

You need to see and control both machines. With only one set, pick one of these.

• Your monitor's second input.
  Plug the second computer into a spare input and switch with the monitor's input button. You see one picture at a time, and you still need a keyboard and mouse for it.
• A KVM switch.
  One keyboard, mouse and screen for both machines, and a button to switch between them. We don't sell one.
• A video fuser.
  Both pictures on one screen at once, so nothing is hidden while you play. It only does video. You still need a cheap keyboard and mouse for the second computer. Video fusers says which one fits your monitor and second computer.
• A spare monitor.
  Plus a keyboard and mouse.

Do I need a video fuser? compares them all, including a capture card.

What the cheapest path costs

From one PC with nothing spare, you need the GODLIKE 100T, Advanced Firmware, a used office mini PC, a keyboard and mouse, and usually a DisplayPort to HDMI cable. How much does a DMA setup cost? adds it up, with and without a monitor, a fuser and software.

Can the second computer do other things?

• Discord or a stream is fine while it reads.
  Heavy extra load can slow the software down, so keep an older machine light.
• Keep the card on its own USB ports.
  Don't put it behind a hub. Keep it away from things that stream all the time, like a webcam or a capture card. Give it a controller to itself has more.

Space and power

A mini PC is about the size of a book. It sits behind a monitor or beside your main PC, on the same desk, because the card's cable runs between them. Lots of cheap listings don't include the power adapter, so check before you pay.

If you're not sure what to get, post your budget on the support forum and we'll point you at something that works.