What is a Dell modular data center?
A Dell modular data center (Dell MDC) is a pre-integrated facility that packages racks, power, cooling and security so IT capacity can be added outside a traditional building. Dell Technologies offers several families, from a rugged far edge enclosure to configurable multi-rack builds and custom-built solutions.
Dell is primarily a server, storage and IT infrastructure vendor, and its MDC range is one way to deliver that hardware. QIT is a project developer and integrator: we scope the site, power, liquid cooling and GPU platform for a phased deployment. An OEM such as Dell is often a supplier to that kind of project rather than a direct alternative to it.
The Dell MDC range from Dell Technologies
| Product | Form factor | Published capacity | Cooling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dell MDC Micro 415 | Rugged IP65 / NEMA 4 rated enclosure for harsh environments | 17RU of IT | 8kW nominal cooling capacity |
| Dell MDC Micro 815 | Single 48RU IT rack solution | One 48RU rack | 10, 20 or 30 kW options |
| Dell MDC Click | All-in-one, pre-integrated power, cooling and security | 5 to 20 racks | Not specified on the page reviewed |
| Dell Modular Data Center Flex | Shared infrastructure, field-expandable | 5 to 100 48RU racks; 5 to 115 kW per rack | Factory-installed liquid cooling options available |
| Dell MDC Custom | Custom-built, UL 2755 | 24-rack capacity | Project-specific |
These are Dell’s published figures, not QIT specifications. Check current configurations with Dell before using them in a design.
Sources: Dell modular data center solutions (US); Dell modular data centers (UK). Liquid cooling availability for MDC Flex is from a 2023 Dell brochure. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
Dell Modular Data Center Flex for AI
Dell Modular Data Center Flex is the product most relevant to AI and high performance computing. Dell lists 48RU racks supporting 5 to 115 kW per rack, with shared infrastructure that lets you expand your data center footprint in the field from 5 up to 100 racks. Liquid cooling options are available from the factory.
The upper end of that range is high density by any standard. Whether a given next generation GPU rack fits depends on the platform’s actual load, its coolant requirements and the heat rejection at your site. Dell’s AI Factory announcements in October 2024 included the liquid-cooled Integrated Rack 7000 and the PowerEdge XE9712 for NVIDIA GB200 NVL72, which shows the server side of the same move toward liquid cooling.
Source: Dell Technologies, October 15, 2024. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
Dell MDC Micro 815, Micro 415 and Click for harsh environments
The Micro 415 and Micro 815 are aimed at sites without a data center, including harsh environments at the far edge. The Micro 815 is a single 48RU IT rack solution with 10–30 kW cooling options; the Micro 415 is a rugged IP65 rated enclosure with 8 kW nominal cooling.
MDC Click bundles power, cooling and integrated security for 5 to 20 racks. These products suit distributed enterprise capacity. They are not designed as multi-megawatt GPU blocks, and buyers comparing them with an AI site should be clear about that difference in scale.
Liquid cooling, efficiency and waste heat
Modular data center solutions often promise better power usage effectiveness than a retrofitted room, because the cooling is designed for a known IT load. That can be true, but a PUE figure is only meaningful with a stated boundary, load and climate. Ask whether it includes the external heat rejection, the electrical losses before the module and partial-load operation.
Liquid cooling also changes what you can do with the heat. Warm coolant is easier to capture than warm air, so waste heat energy reclamation becomes a realistic design question for some sites. Treat it as a project option to evaluate, not as a default benefit of any particular module.
Dell modular data center solutions vs a scoped QIT project
| Decision | Buy a Dell MDC | Scoped project with QIT |
|---|---|---|
| What you procure | A pre-integrated modular data center, often with Dell IT. | A liquid-cooled GPU data center planned around your site and workload. |
| Who integrates the site | You, your engineer or a contractor, with Dell’s scope. | QIT coordinates the module, site works and GPU platform. |
| Sizing | One rack to 100 racks, depending on the family. | 1 MW IT and up to 1,200+ GPUs per container; phased into 5–10 MW sites. |
| Power and utility | Site-supplied. | Planned with the site; QIT prefers existing powered properties. |
| Schedule | Vendor lead time plus your site program. | Factory-integrated; installed on a prepared site in 15 hours. |
If you are standardized on Dell servers and have an in-house facilities team, buying a Dell modular data center can be the simplest route, and a pre-integrated module can speed deployment of a small footprint. If you hold a powered property and need someone to carry the integration and deployment timelines, a project developer can do that. Dell hardware may still be part of the solution.
Questions to ask before you buy
- What rack power density will your GPU platform draw at full load, and is it within the module’s rating?
- Which liquid cooling options are included, and what heat rejection must the site provide?
- Which internal operating range (ASHRAE class) and external operating range is the enclosure rated for at your site’s climate?
- How will energy consumption, power usage effectiveness and water use be measured, and at what boundary?
- Who supplies utility power, switchgear and backup, and who commissions them?
- What service and spares support applies to the module after handover?
For the budget side, the modular data center cost guide explains why quotes vary and what to request. Compare other OEM routes on the Vertiv modular data center page.
Plan your project
Start with the modular data center guide, review the liquid cooling scope and the modular data center companies list, then discuss a project with QIT.
QIT is independent of Dell Technologies and NVIDIA. This page does not claim a partnership, reseller status or supply agreement.
Prepared by QIT · Updated November 2, 2026
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