You either love 'em or you hate 'em. When the technology first came out early in 1996, many sites rushed to implement frames, only to remove them a month or two later after fielding complaints from panicked and confused users. As with so many other things, it depends.
Frames are especially useful when used properly and in moderation.
There are advantages and disadvantages to frames, so it is important to consider your site's needs carefully when deciding on whether to use frames. Changing only part of the window can increase your site's speed and give the user a smoother experience. Take a look at the content you want to put on your site and ask yourself what should remain fixed and what should change as the user clicks around your site. Most sites that use frames have some combination of these elements in their windows. The downside It is just as important to consider the possible drawbacks of frames.