RentServers.comBy the RentServers.com team · Updated
GPU rental prices for Chicago buyers
Hourly GPU prices are set across the US market rather than per city, so this is the benchmark every Chicago quote should beat. Week-to-week moves are tracked on the GPU price tracker.
| GPU | Reserved median, $/GPU-hr | On-demand median, $/GPU-hr | 8-GPU node per month, reserved | Providers | Week of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H100 | $3.23 | $3.50 | $18,863 | 40 | October 12, 2026 |
| H200 | $3.68 | $4.88 | $21,491 | 34 | October 12, 2026 |
| B200 | $6.12 | $7.99 | $35,741 | 20 | October 12, 2026 |
| B300 | $6.49 | $8.99 | $37,902 | 15 | October 19, 2026 |
| MI300X | $2.52 | $4.42 | $14,717 | 4 | October 19, 2026 |
US market medians across providers, not location-specific. Source: GetDeploying, GPU rental price history, CC BY 4.0. Reserved = 12-month terms where at least three providers list one. A node is 8 GPUs x 730 hours.
Power, density and cooling in Chicago
- Grid: PJM. Supply: The regional investor-owned utility in northern Illinois.
- Utility power: 11.87 cents/kWh, IL industrial average, July 2026 (EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A). At 80% average draw and a PUE of 1.3, metered power is about $90 per kW per month, so a 40 kW GPU rack draws about $3,605 a month in power alone.
- Typical density: Downtown carrier hotels typically support 5 to 15 kW per cabinet; suburban campuses built since 2020 commonly offer 20 to 50 kW per rack with liquid cooling on request. (market estimate, October 2026)
An 8-GPU H100 or H200 server is rated at about 10.2 kW and a B200 or B300 server at about 14 kW, so a rack of four is 40 to 57 kW. That is past what most air-cooled halls can hold. See rack power density and cooling.
Rent, reserve or own in Chicago
Rent on demand for experiments and bursts. Reserve 12 to 36 months for steady training or inference: reserved medians run below on-demand, and long terms on large clusters go lower still. Own when you can keep servers busy most hours for about three years; you then need Chicago rack space at roughly $8,500 to $11,500 a month per 40 kW (estimate, October 2026). Compare the options in rent vs buy GPUs, buy outright through our wholesale desk, or get colocation counter-quotes for Chicago on RentColocation.com.
Chicago GPU questions
Do GPU racks in Chicago need liquid cooling?
H100 and H200 servers at about 10 kW each usually run air-cooled at two to three per rack, helped by Chicago's free-cooling months. Four or more per rack, or any Blackwell rack above about 40 kW, generally needs rear-door heat exchangers or direct-to-chip liquid cooling.
How much does it cost to rent an H100 in Chicago?
GPU rental is priced nationally more than by city. The US median for H100 was $3.23 per GPU-hour reserved and $3.50 on demand in the week of October 12, 2026 (GetDeploying, CC BY 4.0). Quotes for Chicago capacity depend on term, count, interconnect and delivery date; we get at least three providers to bid on your spec.
What does it cost to host my own GPU servers in Chicago?
As a market estimate for October 2026: about $8,500 to $11,500 a month all-in for a 40 kW GPU rack, before high-density premiums. Where power is metered, Chicago utility power alone adds about $90 per kW per month at 80% draw and a PUE of 1.3, based on 11.87 cents/kWh, IL industrial average (July 2026).
Can you find GPU capacity in Chicago quickly?
Often within days for single nodes and small clusters; large reservations depend on energized power and delivery dates. Send the GPU model, count, term and start date and we come back within one business day.
Do providers see my company name?
Providers bid blind: they see the technical spec only, never your name, email, phone or company, and never a file you upload. We introduce you only to the provider you pick.