Frost can do a lot of damage with a total build. Single or multiple targets PvE and PvP frost can do comparable damage to fire. However, fire can do the damage with less work and from a safer distance. Fire can also do it with less investment, bring us LOTRO Gold to the very important first law of a Frost Mage.
You do not go frost before you are level 45; better yet dont go frost till 55. The longer you can hold out the better. This is because fire is less reliant on its own talents to produce results. Frost needs every point you put in.
The damage you do with frost comes from the 2.5 second frost bolts that have a 15% frost bite proc, the Lord Of The Rings Gold you got, the ice shards you got for the 200% crits, the 6% damage bonus from the piercing ice and that frost channeling that makes you last 15% longer. In this package,the 35% cone of cold bonus is an absolute must for both PvE and especially PvP, which if you climb this high. However, without everything and the kitchen sink, frost does less damage, in fact every point you pull lowers you damage and efficiency across the board. Note this and remember that. The less vital points to pull are the channeling, the piercing ice and nothing, every point after that comes out of your pocket.