FrozenCPU has been catering to PC enthusiasts since 1999 and the FrozenCPU banner at the top of the PCApex home page has become so familiar it wouldn’t seem like PCApex without it. FrozenCPU boast the “Worlds Largest Selection of PC Modification Supplies and Services”, if you can’t find it there …well good luck.
We’ve enjoyed a long standing association with FrozenCPU and I thought we were long overdue for an interview with the president of FrozenCPU, Mark Friga Jr. The last time we caught up with Mark was back in January of 2004. Mark graciously agreed to answer some questions and the following is the results of that interview.
PC Apex: How did you get started in such a unique enterprise? Did you expect the success that you’ve obviously had with FrozenCPU?
FrozenCPU: Well first, I want to say it was not an easy road. It’s been almost 9 years now and we sometimes cannot believe we have come this far. We truly are thrilled to be a big player in the marketplace for Exotic Computer Parts.
How I got started was the love for everything “after market”. The love of BMX Freestyle in my teen years building bikes, buying rotors, new cranks with sealed bottom brackets, neon seat posts and handlebars etc. It is really similar to goals about the PC Modification Industry, for one to out-do or out “trick” the next guy. A concept of constantly “one-upping" the kid down the street, who just painted his Hutch Trick Star BMX Bike. I compare the industry I work in now to that. It exemplifies the competitive level of what was once a childhood hobby with BMX.
PC Apex: Modding is obviously much of the bread and butter of FrozenCPU. When you opened business in 1999 did you have any idea that customizing computers would become as popular as it has?
FrozenCPU: No, I did not. We only really only had one real “mod” at the time which was our Blizzard 360 Case. A YCC case we use to get from GobalWin. We added 4 120mm blow holes to it. It was a great case for its time. We have since retired this case. Other than that, it was selling heat sinks and fans from the likes of Alpha, Vantec, GlobalWin, Thermal Goop, fans and cables. A year or 2 after we saw the birth of the rounded IDE/floppy cable and Arctic Silver. The market started changing from there to Cooling to Cooling/Modification.
PC Apex: What was the biggest hurdle your company faced to get where it is now? Where do you see Frozen CPU heading in the future? Have you attempted to expand into the brick and mortar market and, if so, how successful have you been with the FrozenCPU branding?
FrozenCPU: A big hurdle FrozenCPU has faced over the years is Credit Card Fraud. I personally am now an expert at spotting Fraudulent Orders on our website. Through lots of training and practice, my staff can now even spot it now too! I have taught them well I believe. We have fraudulent transactions down to less than 1% of gross sales. This is thanks to a company that approached us with a revolutionary process that works in the background of our website that “authenticates the identity of a customer”.
PC Apex: If you weren't running FrozenCPU, what do you think you'd be doing instead?
FrozenCPU: I am sure I would be working somewhere in IT as that is what I did prior to starting this company.
PC Apex: What do you think are the most common misconceptions you face from the general public towards your line of business? (e.g., Frozen CPU must make billions/are ripping me off/must have an aircraft hangar full of modded cases/should be able to sponsor my 4-man LAN etc.)
FrozenCPU: Ha Ha. Most customers are generally easy going and polite and generally understand that we are a business. However, some call our toll free number and want to play “Name Your own Price Hardware”. We expect that and we quickly explain to them that we are what we call a “boutique”. Our reseller ratings speak for themselves that we follow through with any issues customers may have. We are not a “fly by night” company. We have real people working here with real phone lines at a real place of business; not someone’s basement or garage. Once we explain that, they usually get the picture, that “no we cannot sell you the case you want for 1 dollar over what we paid for it. We basically offer too many services and have real staff on-hand to help our customers. You get what you pay for.
PC Apex: Modding started with blowholes, lights, and windows. How has that trend evolved? What modding items are hot sellers?
FrozenCPU: The trend has evolved greatly. The lighting options themselves have evolved. There are so many choices with lighting now. Sleeving is still going strong; in regards to customers wanting things sleeved and actually buying sleeving and heat shrink by the foot for DIY sleeving. FrozenCPU has a sleeving option on any product on our website with a power cable attached to it. Sound Dampening is also a big draw for us. We offer a Sound Dampening option on our cases that the customers really seem to like. We neatly trim sound dampening material and cut it perfectly to fit any chassis selected. Fan Controller options are still popular. The newest mod that we offer now is radiator mounting. This includes, cutting fan holes as well as mounting the radiator before the case ships. This drastically can help any system or home builder on cutting down the amount of time required to get a system off the ground and running.
PC Apex: With the proliferation of products that incorporate features that were previously considered mods, has it hurt sales of true mod items? Or have premods just opened up a previously untapped market?
FrozenCPU: Great Question. Let’s use the “window kit” example to discuss this. 6 years ago, no cases had see through windows from the factory. It was unheard of. The case manufacturers caught on and starting shipping cases to OEMs with windows installed already to distributors and OEMs for full systems. This hurt the DIY window kit market for most the PC Modifications stores. We still sell window kits every day, just not 200 a day anymore.
As far as pre-mods having “spurred” further mods, I will use the “stock window from the manufacturer example”. Some case companies slap a riveted window on the side of the case. We remove their window and cut a larger window out so the inside of the case guts are in FULL VIEW. We dress the border with black rubber border and install Allen bolts instead of rivets to give it a more industrial look. Example: our Antec 900 Bolt On Window case, or our Cooler master Cosmos Full Bolt On Window Case.
PC Apex: Have you seen a trend from consumers towards more "computer savvy" products? Do you feel that the people purchasing from your store are more knowledgeable than they were just a couple of years ago?
FrozenCPU: Yes and No. We have seen a growth in both arenas. Orders roll in every day with customers successfully navigating the website buying all their water-cooling parts, buying the correct clamps and tubing and fittings, selecting the correct size for everything without a hitch. This proves that our descriptions and our naming convention of products is good. We are educating the consumer as they buy. *pat on back*
The other side of the coin is that we are seeing customers that want to get into the “scene” so fast, that they do not call our toll free number before they buy and end up buying incompatible parts. A growth in both areas is a good way to conclude the answer to this question.
