What Toner Does the HP Color LaserJet Pro M454dn Use?

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Shopping for this printer? See all HP 414A & 414X Toner Cartridges – W2020A–W2023X → Ships same day by 4 PM ET, 1-year guarantee.

Quick answer: The HP Color LaserJet Pro M454dn takes HP 414A (standard) or HP 414X (high-yield) toner, one cartridge each in black, cyan, magenta and yellow. Our compatible HP 414X Black with chip (W2020X) is rated at about 7,500 pages, and each 414X color at about 6,000. If you have your empty HP cartridge, the 414X Black no-chip version lets you move the original HP chip across instead.

CastleScore · October 2026

80/100 — Highly Recommended

HP Color LaserJet Pro M454dn

Pillar (weight)ScoreWhat it is based on
Owner ratings (28%) 86 4.80★ average across 33 ratings at Best Buy (4.8); small sample and many reviews incentivized, so adjusted down
Expert reviews (20%) —
Cost per page (18%) 80 About 3¢ per page blended (black + color) with our compatible 414X toner with chip (7,500 black / 6,000 color pages). Docked because firmware can reject toner without the maker's chip.
Reliability (18%) 86 Few complaints; owners mention the printer not always waking from sleep for the first job, and buyers surprised by the lack of Wi-Fi.
Features (11%) 58 Auto two-sided printing, Ethernet, fast (20+ ppm). No Wi-Fi, no touchscreen, no document feeder, no fax.
Value (5%) 80 Running cost and owner satisfaction (no current new street price)

Limited data: No expert review of this exact model was found, so the expert pillar's weight is spread across the other pillars.

Discontinued. Best Buy lists the M454dn as sold out, and HP's newer Color LaserJet Pro 4201dn uses HP 210 toner instead. This score rates it for current owners.

CastleScore is Castle Ink’s own editorial rating, built from retailer star ratings, expert reviews, real cost per page and owner complaint patterns, checked October 29, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.

The toner, pictured

Our own compatible toner, photographed in-house.

HP Color LaserJet Pro M454dn Toner Cartridges at a Glance

Cartridge Part Number Color Approx. Page Yield
HP 414A Black W2020A Black ~2,400 pages
HP 414A Cyan W2021A Cyan ~2,100 pages
HP 414A Magenta W2023A Magenta ~2,100 pages
HP 414A Yellow W2022A Yellow ~2,100 pages
HP 414X Black W2020X Black ~7,500 pages
HP 414X Cyan W2021X Cyan ~6,000 pages
HP 414X Magenta W2023X Magenta ~6,000 pages
HP 414X Yellow W2022X Yellow ~6,000 pages
Castle Ink HP 414X Black, no chip W2020X Black (reuse your HP chip) ~7,500 pages

Chip and firmware warning: HP's spec sheet for the M454 series reads "Dynamic security enabled printer. Only intended to be used with cartridges using an HP original chip," and adds that cartridges with a non-HP chip that work today may not work in the future. In April 2022 a firmware update for the M454dn did exactly that, with the message "Indicated cartridges blocked for containing non-HP chip" and event code 10.00.46. Our with-chip 414X carries a new third-party chip, so set the printer to stop installing updates on its own before you fit one. The M454dn is not an HP+ printer: no "e" version of it exists, so there is no lifetime Original-HP-only lock, only dynamic security. See how to keep HP firmware updates from blocking your toner.

HP 414A and 414X also fit the wireless M454dw, the Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479fdw, M479fdn and M479dw, and the business-class Color LaserJet Enterprise M455dn and Enterprise MFP M480f. Each cartridge has its own imaging drum.

The M454dn is the wired-only version of HP's 27-page-per-minute color laser printer: Ethernet and USB, automatic two-sided printing, and a two-line text display instead of a touchscreen.

Do not confuse HP 414 with HP 415 or 416. HP 415A/415X is the same cartridge made for printers sold in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and 416A/416X is the Asia-Pacific version; neither works in a U.S. M454dn. HP 410A (older M452) and HP 206A (M255/M283) do not fit either.

Weighing a no-chip cartridge against a with-chip one? Our guide to the best compatible HP 414X toner sets out the trade-off and other sellers' prices.

How to Replace the Toner in the HP Color LaserJet Pro M454dn

  1. Open the front door. The four cartridges sit side by side behind it.
  2. Take hold of the handle on the empty cartridge and pull it straight toward you.
  3. Unbox the new cartridge, hold it by both ends and rock it gently five or six times to loosen the toner.
  4. Take off the orange shipping piece on the back and any tape. Do not touch the imaging drum on the underside.
  5. Push the cartridge into the slot for its color until it stops, close the door, and wait for the display to return to Ready.

Troubleshooting Tips

"Supply problem" or a cartridge the printer won't accept: Make sure the orange shipping piece is off, reseat the cartridge, and switch the printer off for a minute. If the message names a non-HP chip and appeared right after a firmware update, the update is the cause; contact us about a replacement, or move your old HP chip onto a no-chip cartridge.

Printer misses jobs after sitting idle: Some owners say the M454dn does not always wake in time for the first job after sleeping. Lengthen the sleep delay in the printer's Embedded Web Server (type its IP address into a browser) and check the network cable and switch port.

Light or streaky color: Rock the affected cartridge, put it back, and print a test page. A streak that shows up in only one color points to that cartridge. More fixes are in our guide to laser printer streaks and lines.

What M454dn owners ask

We pulled these from retailer reviews, retailer Q&A and printer help pages, and answered them in our own words for this model.

Can I print over Wi-Fi?

No. The dn has Gigabit Ethernet and USB only, and Best Buy reviewers who expected wireless were caught out. If you need Wi-Fi, the M454dw is the wireless version.

Is there a front USB port for printing from a flash drive?

No. HP lists the walk-up USB port for the M454dw only. The dn has a rear host USB port, which is used for accessories and job storage.

Why does toner seem so expensive for this printer?

Genuine HP 414X color cartridges list at more than $300 each at Staples, which is the most common complaint in owner reviews. The high-yield 414X is the cheaper way to run the printer whichever brand you buy, and compatible 414X costs a fraction of HP's price.

The printer says "Used Cartridge Installed." Is something wrong?

No. That message is a notice, not a fault. Press OK and the printer carries on. You will see it with refilled cartridges and with no-chip cartridges that carry a reused HP chip.

Is the M454dn still sold?

Not new from the big U.S. stores; Best Buy lists it as sold out, and HP's newer Color LaserJet Pro 4201dn uses different toner (HP 210). HP 414A and 414X cartridges remain widely available.

M454dn quirks worth knowing

  • The starter cartridges in the box are rated at only about 1,200 pages each, so expect to buy toner early.
  • Paper capacity is 300 sheets (a 250-sheet tray plus a 50-sheet multipurpose tray). The optional 550-sheet tray (CF404A) takes it to 850.
  • HP rates it for up to 50,000 pages a month but recommends 750 to 4,000.
  • Two-sided printing is on by default. Switch it off in the print dialog if you want single-sided pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the M454dn take a separate drum?
No. The drum is part of each 414A or 414X cartridge, so a new cartridge brings a new drum for that color.

Is HP 414X worth it over 414A on the M454dn?
For most offices, yes. The 414X black lasts about three times as long as the 414A black, and it costs less per page.

Can I mix with-chip and no-chip compatible cartridges?
Yes. Each color slot reads its own chip, so you can run a no-chip black with your old HP chip next to with-chip colors.

Other printers that use HP 414A and 414X toner

HP Color LaserJet Pro M454dw · HP LaserJet Pro MFP M479fdw · HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479fdn · HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479dw · HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M455dn · HP Color LaserJet Enterprise MFP M480f

More HP ink guides: HP LaserJet Pro M402n · HP LaserJet Pro MFP M426fdw · HP LaserJet Pro M201dw · find any printer

Replacing it? Our highest-rated alternatives

Sources

Ratings and prices were checked on October 29, 2026 and will change over time.

Need replacement HP 414A & 414X Toner Cartridges – W2020A–W2023X? Shop HP 414A & 414X Toner Cartridges – W2020A–W2023X at Castle Ink. Compatible, up to 70% less than OEM, and shipped the same day when you order by 4 PM ET.

Written and reviewed by — Founder of Castle Ink, 20+ years in the printer & imaging supplies industry.

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