Are these flash plated or something else?

[golddigger2]

Hi all
I just got in a new lot of cards and noticed a high percentage of the cards had a white metal plating on the fingers rather than the normal gold plating. what is flash plating? I assume it is just very, very thin plating. But there is no sign of gold showing through on these fingers.

 

[patnor1011]

They look as gold plated to me. However plating looks to be worn out on some fingers. If they are shiny silvery coloured they are tin plated. Rub them against paper and if you will see grey mark - tin.

 

[silversaddle1]

I have noticed too that a lot of the newer, low end cards have very little, if any gold plating on the fingers anymore. I guess that's how they can sell a new computer for under $500.00 nowadays! :shock: :shock:

 

[keyman]

These appear to be PCI boards.

The PCI specification calls for a contact finish of "0.000030 inch minimum gold over 0.000050 inch minimum nickel in the contact area. Alternate finish: gold flash over 0.000040 inch (1 micron) minimum palladium or palladium-nickel over nickel in the contact area."

If they comply with the PCI specification then that will be what the contacts have as a finish.