# Condenser Cable Economics In a DX-cooled modular data center, each rack pair requires a dedicated condenser unit placed outside the MDC enclosure. The refrigerant lines connecting indoor cooling units to outdoor condensers are called **condenser cables.** **The cost varies dramatically with length:** - Short runs (condenser adjacent to MDC): **~$400 per cable** - Long runs (condenser placed at distance): **~$2,000 per cable** For a 400kW MDC with 20 racks (10 rack pairs), you need approximately **24 condenser cables**. That means: - Best case (short runs): ~$9,600 total - Worst case (long runs): ~$48,000 total - **Delta: ~$38,400** This ~$40K delta sounds significant until you compare it to the alternative: upgrading to chilled water adds **€200-300K**. So even in the worst condenser placement scenario, DX with long cable runs is still 5-7x cheaper than switching cooling architectures. **Implication:** Condenser placement flexibility is a feature, not a bug. You can put condensers wherever site conditions allow (rooftop, adjacent ground, remote pad) and absorb the cable cost rather than overengineering the cooling architecture. --- See also: [[DX vs Chilled Water Crossover]] | [[Modular Data Centers MoC]]