For a handful of servers, the choice is between buying space by the unit and buying a rack. Published list prices make the per-U math easy, and the power behind the rack decides whether the bigger option is actually better value.
List prices, per U and over 36 months
| Plan | Monthly | Per U per month | 36 months with setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1U | $99 | $99.00 | $3,664 |
| 2U | $199 | $99.50 | $7,364 |
| Half rack (20U) | $799 | $39.95 | $29,764 |
| Full rack (40U) | $1,400 | $35.00 | $51,900 |
GigeNET, Chicago colocation (published list prices), captured 2026-10-23.
Per U, a full rack costs about a third of a single 1U slot. If you will fill more than half of it within the term, the full rack usually wins, and it gives you room to grow without a second install.
Check the power, not just the space
That full rack comes with dual 20A 120V circuits. At an 80% continuous load, one such circuit carries about 1.9 kW, and with A+B redundancy the second circuit is the backup, not extra capacity. That works out to roughly $729 per usable kW per month, far above the ~$250/kW all-in retail average, because the rack is priced for space, not power.
So the rule: if your servers are light, buy space. If they're dense, buy power. A half rack with more power can beat a full rack with less.
When each fits
- 1U to 4U: a few servers, no growth planned, published prices are fine
- Half rack: 5 to 15 servers at modest power, room to double
- Full rack: past half full in the first year, or any network gear that wants its own space
- Multiple racks or a cage: past 10 kW, or anything you'd rather have bid than buy off a price list
Questions
Retail full racks run $900 to $2,000 a month nationally; a published Chicago list price is $1,400 with dual 20A 120V circuits.
If you'll use more than about 10U at modest power, usually yes: per U it costs far less than single-U space.