Modder Spotlight: Frida “Zoyadog” Bergendal
The time has come yet again to expand on the “Modder Spotlight” series, this time we were lucky enough get an interview from Ms Frida (Zoyadog) Bergendal! Although Frida is fairly new to the modding scene, she has already shown her skill placing 2nd in the Birdie modding competition and taking 1st place in Corsair Rig Spotlight with her Odyssey R40 build over at bit-tech.net. Frida recently went to Japan to take part in a modding workshop event hosted by Fractal Design where she and several other modders, talked and showed off their tricks-of-the-trade.
What got you into Modding?
I got my first desktop PC as a Christmas gift in 2012. The next summer I went to Dreamhack Summer 2012 with my first real gaming computer. Dreamhack is the world’s biggest LAN-event. I didn’t know anyone when I got there, but I met a lot of new friends. At Dreamhack, everyone brings their own PC. I became fascinated by all the mods I saw there. I ordered my first water cooling right after Dreamhack without any knowledge at all. One year later, I had gathered so much inspiration from modders, so I started my first case mod: “Chimaera”.
Who is Frida “ZoyaDog” Bergendal?
I am a girl who has had an interest in gaming and technology ever since I was little. I am still pretty new with desktop PCs and modding but it is something I really enjoy doing and will continue with. I live outside Stockholm, Sweden with my family and study video game design. Besides modding, I like gaming, hanging out with friends and going to music festivals.
Which one of your mods would you say was your favorite?
Currently, I only have two mods finished: Chimaera which was a rebuild of a Corsair 800D and Odyssey which was a part of the Hexgear R40-beta project. I’d say Odyssey is my favorite, I just loved working with that case and trying out copper tubing. I am really looking forward to my next project, I have the opportunity to work with such a nice case (InWin 805) in this build so it is definitely going to be an honor.
With all of your mods, we have seen you use advanced techniques such as copper/brass tubing, cable sleeving and fabrication. Any advice for people wanting to take the next step in their mods?
Just go with what ever seems fun to you! You don’t need a high-end computer to do simple and fun mods. Try taking the cable management to a new level, try different cooling solutions, grab a spray can, look inside of your case and see what opportunities there are. I usually take a picture inside of the case and play around in Photoshop. If you see a mod you like, there are plenty of really good guides online, and if you can’t find a guide, ask someone or post on a forum!
You recently went to Tokyo to do a modding presentation for Fractal Design, how was the experience and is this something you would like to do again?
It was a really fun experience. I talked about the modding community in Europe as much as I know about it, and suggested we all as modders should unite and share ideas all over the world. I would love to see more hardware companies inviting modders to different events. It is something everyone would benefit from and I really hope to get the chance to do it again.
In your personal opinion, do you see the chassis (case) the focal point of the mod or the hardware (GPUs, motherboard etc)?
I wouldn’t say the choice of hardware or case “makes” the mod, it is what you do with the hardware. Mods can look so different and it is hard to compare them to each other. I’d say a good mod is where the whole build is well-composed between hardware, case and the theme.
I’ve noticed with many of your sleeved power supplies, you go for the hard wired PSUs over the fully modular PSUs, do you prefer this style of PSU or does it just happen to be what was available?
Actually I just started working with the things I had available. In my recent mod, Odyssey, I had a semi-modular PSU but I didn’t like the look of it so I remade it to be non-modular instead. I prefer the hard wired-look, I think it looks nice with the flow of the cables coming out from the PSU, but now I am going to use modular PSUs and try crimping for the first time.
Where can people go to see more of your work?
I try collecting everything on my Facebook page, such as pictures, build logs and updates. On the Swedish forum Sweclockers, they have a really nice gallery-section where you can post your projects. I also post on different forums like Bit-tech and The Mod Zoo.
If someone is interested in having a commissioned piece done, where can they contact you at?
They are very welcome to send me a message on Facebook or send me an email at Info@zoyadog.com. I haven’t made a commissioned piece yet but I would love to do one.
Modders-Inc would like to give a big thanks to Frida, for taking the time to answer our questions, and we can’t wait to see more from her! Remember to check out her company page on Facebook for future mods, and updates about new mods or just to check out her previous work! Remember to check out her Facebook page for upcoming projects or past projects in case you missed out before.
