| I suggest a decent video card and plenty of RAM (at least a gig). I wouldn't waste money on a new audio or network card -- the performance "hit" is negligible at best.
If you're getting hard locks then that often suggests a hardware problem. But it still could be software related -- you may want to consider a complete wipe and reload and download the latest drivers for all the devices in the computer.
I know HPs come factory loaded with a pile of shit. If you can, do a fresh reload of XP off an OEM disc rather than the HP recovery. Your computer will feel a lot faster just from that. | 