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Cooling choice sets both a capital cost and a permanent power overhead. This calculator compares the four cooling architectures in the AI Build Configurator over ten years. At California's US$0.205/kWh, a 50 MW site spends US$35.9M a year on cooling overhead with air (PUE 1.40) but only US$11.7M with direct-to-chip liquid (PUE 1.13).
For each cooling type: capital cost (C$ per MW of IT load, scaled by the location factor) plus ten years of overhead power, IT MW × (PUE − 1) × 8,760 h × rate. Air cooling only suits racks up to about 50 kW; AI racks need liquid or immersion.
| Cooling | PUE | Max rack density | Capital cost | Overhead power / yr | 10-year cooling cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air-cooled / hot-aisle containment | 1.40 | 50 kW | US$0.0M | US$12.4M | US$124.4M |
| Rear-door heat exchanger | 1.24 | 90 kW | US$44.7M | US$7.5M | US$119.3M |
| Direct-to-chip liquid (DLC) | 1.13 | 250 kW | US$114.9M | US$4.0M | US$155.3M |
| Single-phase immersion | 1.06 | 300 kW | US$140.4M | US$1.9M | US$159.1M |
At cheap Texas power, air cooling looks cheapest over ten years, but it cannot cool racks above about 50 kW, so it is only an option for mining and low-density builds. At California prices the efficient options win much sooner.
Cooling interacts with power price, rack density and build type. Model all of them together in the free live demo, or read our AI data center cost guide.
In the SCR AI Build Configurator, capital cost runs from nothing extra for air cooling to C$1.4M per MW (rear-door), C$3.6M (direct-to-chip liquid) and C$4.4M (immersion), plus the overhead power each PUE implies.
It costs more to build but uses less power. At high power prices, such as California's US$0.205/kWh, direct-to-chip liquid saves about US$24.2M a year on a 50 MW site versus air.
Air 1.40, rear-door heat exchangers 1.24, direct-to-chip liquid 1.13 and single-phase immersion 1.06 in the configurator.
Not at AI densities. Air cooling tops out near 50 kW per rack, while AI racks run at 100 kW to over 200 kW and need liquid or immersion cooling.
Add the cooling capital cost to the overhead power: IT MW times (PUE minus 1) times 8,760 hours times the power rate, over the years you plan to operate. The calculator on this page does it for you.