I suggest never using a graphic more than 40k in size and the majority of your graphics should be no more than 15k in size. At least, make that your target. Theoretically, your site is always under construction. If a page isn't ready to be viewed, don't load it. Frames avoid them like the plague.
Frames are an example of a good idea gone bad.
They can serve a useful function sometimes , but most of the time they clutter a site and create confusion. You probably close and go back to the page you really wanted to look at. Don't fill up a visitor's desktop with multiple windows. Most people find pop-up screens annoying. Enter page don't do it.