Interview: Why Endorfy had to kill SilentiumPC

Cooling about Endorfy and SilentiumPC

The rebranding of SilentiumPC to Endorfy has only taken place relatively recently. We also reported on it in our test of the Endorfy Navis 240 liquid cooler, albeit we only hinted at it. However, we will now discuss the circumstances of this decision in more detail. With a set of questions that shed more light on the whole situation, we approached the representatives of Cooling, i.e. the owners of the SilentiumPC and now Endorfy trademarks.

I’m not going to pretend anything, and the fact that SilentiumPC is rebranding as Endorfy surprised me like few of the “hardware events” this year. After all, SilentiumPC has long been the symbol for the best value cheap Fera cooler. Sure, there are more attractive products out there, but probably few would argue that any of them have more bling than the Fera series of CPU coolers, and this stands true for more than a decade.

The reason why SilentiumPC is changing the name to Endorfy is obvious from the press release. Cooling, as the owner of the brand, already has its market and surrounding markets well covered and the room for growth is already relatively small and the next natural step is to expand globally. But that still doesn’t explain why Endorfy (instead of SilentiumPC). Cooling also has a brand, SPC Gear, under which it no longer focuses on cooling components, but peripherals – keyboards, mice, headsets with microphones and the like – in addition to SilentiumPC. Endorfy’s expansion into new markets seems to have a unifying role, where all products will now be under one roof. More on this from Mr. Łukasz Zdziech (CEO Cooling) who answered key questions for us about how he sees the future of Endorfy.

HWC: I can’t help but start the conversation like this: We see SilentiumPC, at least in our latitudes, as a very strong brand, especially in the CPU cooler market, but also in the PC case market. Isn’t it risky to abandon it and replace it with another name that people will have to get used to?

Endorfy: Risky? Perhaps… However, we are not afraid to take bold steps and innovative actions. Our products are of excellent, world-class quality, and we are not afraid of competing with the best known brands on the market and this is not only our wishful thinking but it is confirmed by independent tests by international editors and reviewers. We are one of the top (or just top in some categories like coolers) brands in Poland, getting more and more recognition in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Germany or the UK. But for us, the real goal is to make them known worldwide, hence the idea to go further – with the new Endorfy brand.

HWC: Why “Endorfy”? What is it supposed to symbolize? And could you please describe what the new Endorfy logo represents?

Endorfy: Technology is our passion, and using it generates a boost of positive energy. This energy is something that we would like to share with our clients. The name – Endorfy – best conveys this idea.

Frankly, the new brand is much more “roomy”, much wider. It allows us to work on products that we could not have previously taken into consideration. The potential is tremendous, and this is particularly true as nowadays, hardware performance is as crucial as a product’s design.

Historically, the name itself – SilentiumPC – closely tied us to….well, PCs. But technology is a vast concept that excludes noone and nothing. Endorfy, as a brand, is meant to be a significant part of technology pop culture. It is intended to meet the needs of both people professionally involved in gaming and those who simply want to relax with their favorite music or audiobook after an intense day.

HWC: Will Endorfy completely replace SilentiumPC and SPC Gear products on the domestic market and in the near vicinity (including Czech Republic and Slovakia) or will these brands be preserved in some form “over here”? And if not (and Endorfy completely replaces them), how much longer will we see SilentiumPC/SPC Gear products?

Endorfy: The years spent on building SPC Gear and SilentiumPC have provided us with invaluable experience, for which we are most grateful. We are incredibly thankful for the presence and support of our customers. However, it is time to reach higher. This is how the idea of the global Endorfy brand was born. A brand that will connect all people who want to have fun with technology.

We know that the change may take some time to get used to, for our customers and partners, even for us. Although we no longer plan to produce new hardware for SPC Gear and SilentiumPC, the warranties and the support for products still apply, and many of our partners will still sell the hardware as long as they have it in stock.

HWC: With the brand change, are there any technical differences or differences in parameters for products that came out under the SilentiumPC brand and are now also available under Endorfy? For example, the Fera 5 cooler. Is the only difference in the logo on the top cover and on the packaging or are there more changes between brands (SilentiumPC and Endorfy)?

Endorfy: The development of the new brand took a substantial amount of time. During this period, we refined the R&D team and expanded our structures with specialists for trade and marketing across a wide range of markets. The extensive process has also resulted in excellent and internationally acclaimed product designs, such as the Fera 5 and Fortis 5. To be completely honest, those were already developed with the new brand in mind. Hence, the changes to them will be not so big, but at the same time they will mark the next stage of their development.

We promised that every piece of equipment “absorbed” by Endorfy from SilentiumPC or SPC Gear will be upgraded, and we kept our word. For example, we have improved coolers quality even further by using more novel materials, even though it was quite difficult, as we have already raised the bar high in the category. On the other hand, keyboards will receive new PBT keycaps made in Double Shot technology with a font designed by us.

Keep in mind that those are only changes to our well-established products. What is still to come is the introduction of completely new hardware and accessories, designed and refined during the process of bringing the global Endorfy brand to life. We are referring to the all-new Navis F280 liquid cooler, which has already received multiple awards and has been praised by many reviewers and customers. We also offer new keyboards, such as the Thock Compact Wireless, based on Kaihl Box switches with hot swap and wireless connection to the PC, all in a 60% layout (we will be introducing more keyboard sizes shortly)! There is also a brand-new Endorfy Supremo FM5 power supply line, with the wattages needed and matched to the new graphics cards and processors, i.e. 1000 W, among others.

While creating the Endorfy brand, we also took care of a complete rebranding. We are reducing flashy packaging in favor of eco-friendly solutions. In time, we intend to have fully recyclable packaging.

From the very first encounter with our product, the user will feel that we fit in, that we are just like them and support them at all stages of product life. We want to deliver positive emotions and respond to customers’ needs. To accomplish this, we listen carefully to user feedback and develop products according to their expectations. We know it is impossible to please everyone, but… we will try anyway!

HWC: As you state in the press release, Endorfy aims to establish itself in new markets… Under the SilentiumPC brand, did this not work out, or were there no such ambitions and thus you didn’t even try too hard?

Endorfy: As you know, in addition to developing the SilentiumPC brand, we were also actively working on our second brand, SPC Gear. This led us to working on two brands simultaneously. Not only did this occasionally cause communication turmoil, but the marketing department had to work on two separate entities whose strengths could, after all, fuel each other. Three years ago we already knew that we wanted a new, global and powerful brand, aligned with our ambitions and capabilities that the brand has to be compatible with the needs of our audience and tailored to the present and upcoming times.

Indeed, SilentiumPC was already well established, but its name strictly defined its former products and direction. We also feel that, thanks to the extensive development of our R&D department and our experience, we can confidently compete with global brands and, in some categories, even become the benchmark!

HWC: The “old brands” (SilentiumPC and SPC Gear) mainly focused on products with a good price/performance ratio. Will this segmentation continue or are there plans for high-end stuff that you haven’t offered in your portfolio so far.

Endorfy: First and foremost, we have a lot of new products planned for the current categories. Endorfy, as I’ve already mentioned, allows us to deliver entirely new product segments. Most importantly it also lets us grow into premium, higher-end categories. We are ready to fight for our share there.

At the same time, we are working on entirely new categories, but I cannot reveal any details at this stage. Everything leads us to establishing a brand with an offer that responds to the very diverse nature of our audience.

HWC: We assume that you want to gradually work your way up to elite status globally. Are there any current companies that inspire you in some way or “you see things, shall we say, a little differently than the competition” and that is supposed to be the path to the top?

Endorfy: We are mostly inspired by our customers. It is their change, their needs, and their… growth that has awakened in us the desire to develop even more and given us the courage to embrace change.

Previously, our communication was strongly based on people closely associated with technology and gaming, but our lives keep changing. Younger generations with completely different needs are coming into the picture. That is why at Endorfy we place an additional focus on brand awareness. We are fully aware of how crucial this is if you dream big. We listen and we talk to our customers, to our technology heroes.

The observation and constant interaction with our audiences have led us to change and develop ourselves, which is precisely why we do it. For the audience and for ourselves. All of it in alignment with our values.

We know we have stories to tell. We know that technology can evoke deep, very positive emotions. As I said, we experience those ourselves daily. However, I want to make it crystal clear that this is not only a change in messaging. With the new brand we are changing the whole company, opening up to new means of expression, new audiences, and new markets.

HWC: The dropping of the SilentiumPC brand perhaps raises a bit of a concern that successful cooling products might get sidelined, put on the back burner… is the plan to stay with the current ratio of cooling components to peripherals, or will this gradually flip and more space will be given to peripherals?

Endorfy: Look, 5 years ago, when we introduced our first SPC Gear products – gaming chairs, and later keyboards, we believed we would be successful. At the same time, many “market experts” were raising the same concerns they are stating today with our new brand. Today, the ratio of peripherals to components sold is almost equal and we are still successfully developing new products from the pc components segment.

Of course, Each category requires a different, diverse knowledge and set of skills. That’s why we are particularly proud that many experts have joined our team to provide solutions for a wide range of categories and work on new products. That’s why we can simultaneously work on developing components (e.g. presenting the new Navis F280 cooler and soon the Navis F360) and peripherals (e.g., offering the new series of keyboards or microphones).

HWC: Will there be any new product categories under Endorfy? Even if not immediately, in the next year, is there something like that planned prospectively? If so, what segment will be of interest.

Endorfy: Actually, we are working very hard on developing new solutions and we do not exclude completely new categories for Endorfy. For many, they will come as a surprise, but for us, they express the spirit of the Endorfybrand and confirm our most vital message, man + technology equals emotions.

HWC: Where do you see Endorfy in 5 years?

Endorfy: Ha ha, for us that is a very distant future. The answer is pretty straightforward – in 5 years, we see Endorfy among global brands available worldwide.

HWC: What is the situation with your production capacity? Where are your products manufactured? Are there/will there be any factories in Europe?

Endorfy: Our development plan includes such possibilities, but let’s not deceive ourselves that Europe is ready to produce electronics at the same level or volumes as countries in Asia.

The most crucial thing for us is that products are designed in Poland, by our R&D. From the first sketch to the final product, we ensure that every detail is taken care of. We are also constantly improving our QC standards, from inspecting and checking the first manufactured product on-site in the factory to thorough verification in Poland.

The next step for us will be to develop our logistical capabilities to deliver our products to the furthest parts of the world as quickly as we are able to do it in Poland and neighboring countries.

Of course, we are constantly looking for new production solutions closer to our headquarters. We will certainly take advantage of any such opportunity if it makes sense business-wise.

HWC: What components or parts do you have in-house production capacity for?

Endorfy: At the moment, we have a pretty limited capacity in terms of internal electronics manufacturing. However, next year we will certainly talk more about this in the context of other product categories. Follow the development of the Endorfy brand and you may be quite surprised!

HWC: In terms of development, to what extent is it in-house and to what extent do you collaborate with other companies? We assume that the heatpipes and fan motors, for example, will be from OEM suppliers. But maybe there’s also a lot of other stuff outside of cooling components.

Endorfy: The answer to this question is rather complex.

There are projects that require components from other suppliers. For instance, the chipsets or sensors in our mice come from industry giant PixArt. However, this does not change the fact that every component from which our products are constructed must meet our guidelines and standards. And we do have extremely high standards.

The cooling you mention is, at first glance, a very simple product: a few heat pipes, a radiator, some fan, and it’s ready. In reality, however, it is a hugely complex device consisting of many components designed by us from scratch. For the design, we collaborated with Synergy Cooling, a company that provides the know-how for many design elements and takes care of the psychoacoustic optimization of products. All this combined creates a project that is very expensive to implement. However, it is the only way to ensure that the device meets our performance and quality standards.

HWC: SilentiumPC products have a rather shorter warranty compared to the competition. For example, even in the same price class, there are Arctic coolers (with a six-year warranty). Will anything change on this or will the warranty length stay the same?

Endorfy: Well, this is pretty much a business decision depending on scale. We already have products with a longer warranty – for example Fluctus fans with a 6-years one and for sure you will see more products with such added value in the nearest future.

HWC: So I guess we’ve exhausted everything we (and our readers) could think of, thank you for the information and fingers crossed it works out the way you want it to!

Endorfy: Thank you!

English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš

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• Cooling about Endorfy and SilentiumPC

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