Dell (310-5726, 310-5731, 310-5730, 310-5729)

This page covers the four-cartridge high-yield toner family built around the 310-5726 black cartridge, made for Dell's 3000cn, 3010cn and 3100cn color laser printers. Black carries the longest rating at around 4,000 pages, while the three colors — cyan 310-5731, magenta 310-5730 and yellow 310-5729 — are each rated at around 2,000 pages. Every cartridge is an independent unit, so a color that runs dry is replaced on its own without touching the other three.

The ratings tell the story of how these printers are actually used. Documents lean on black far more than on any single color, which is why the black cartridge is built to last roughly twice as long as each color. In practice the colors fade one at a time — a run of blue-heavy presentations drains cyan first — while black keeps going through months of ordinary paperwork. Owners of the 3000, 3010 and 3100 series machines tend to keep one full set in reserve and then top up individual colors as the printer reports them low.

Toner Cartridges for Dell 310-5726

Cartridge	Color	Page Yield
310-5726	Black	Approx. 4,000 pages
310-5731	Cyan	Approx. 2,000 pages
310-5730	Magenta	Approx. 2,000 pages
310-5729	Yellow	Approx. 2,000 pages
310-5726 / 310-5731 / 310-5730 / 310-5729 High Yield 4 Color Set	All four colors	See product page
Dell 3000cn High Yield 4 Color Set	All four colors	See product page
Dell 3000cn Premium Quality High Yield 4 Color Set	All four colors	See product page

Which cartridge should you buy?

Match the order to what the printer is actually asking for. When a single color reports low, a single cartridge is the economical answer — there is no reason to retire three cartridges that still hold toner. When two or more colors are low together, or the machine is new to you and its history is unknown, the four-color set refreshes everything at once and usually works out cheaper than four separate orders. Black deserves its own plan: at around 4,000 pages it outlasts each color roughly two to one, so heavy text printing may call for a spare black even while the colors are still healthy. Every listing here is the high-yield version, so there is no smaller capacity to second-guess.

Chip, toner and everyday use

Each of the four cartridges is chipped, and the printer tracks the four levels independently — a compatible cartridge with the right chip shows its level alongside the others as soon as it clicks in. Swap one color at a time with the power on so the printer registers the change cleanly, and give a new cartridge a gentle side-to-side rock before it goes in to level the toner. Ratings assume 5% coverage; full-color pages with photographs or solid backgrounds use far more, especially of the color that dominates the image. Store spares sealed and flat, and rotate the oldest box to the front so no cartridge sits for years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which number is the cyan cartridge in this family?

Cyan is 310-5731. The full set is 310-5726 black, 310-5731 cyan, 310-5730 magenta and 310-5729 yellow, and each number is printed on its own cartridge label.

Which printers use the 310-5726 family?

Dell's 3000, 3010 and 3100 series color lasers — including the 3000cn and 3100cn network models. If your machine belongs to one of those series and asks for a 310-57xx number, this is its family.

Why do the colors run out before the black?

Two reasons: each color is rated at around 2,000 pages against roughly 4,000 for black, and color documents draw on the colors unevenly. A single low color only needs that one cartridge replaced — the others keep printing.

Can I buy the black cartridge on its own?

Yes. The 310-5726 black is sold as a single cartridge as well as inside the four-color sets, so you can restock black without buying colors you have not used yet.