Checked, replied.  

i have a 160gb SATA HDD here that you can have, Plus i have 2 DVD burners that work great if you want as well as an ATi HD3650 512Mb AGP graphics card you are welcome to.

Cool, nimbin. I think he needs a PCI gfx card, but the HDD will be handy.

In case I'm wrong....this is his rig.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00485641&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=1130585

It's an HP Pavillion A1220N

It looks like a PCI FX card is his only option, which i am very surprisedc about as i thought it would have had a AGP slot as well, but oh well. He is going to be hard pressed to find a good PCI graphics card but there are a few around still.

Guys a few of us were talking about upgrading my machine using DDR2-5300 or DDR2-4200. The machine currently uses DDR2-3200. Anyone know if this will work? My machine is a HP Pavilion A1220N. Thanks!

I suspect the main issue is not lack of memory. That rig dates from 2005. It has chugged along on 512 MB's of ram for 7 years. If it needed more memory, it would have been added well before now.

If you have not been getting Low Memory warnings, it isn't the lack of RAM that is slowing it down, it is a failing HDD.  Think about your page file and virtual memory  and where it is stored.

Putting more RAM in it will do little good until that  HDD is replaced. I just replaced one in a a720n after the owner spent 150 bucks on a PSU and extra gig of RAM at Best Buy. I was just given another rig, also after the owner blew 165 bucks at Best Buy having the Goof Squad work on it. 

I replaced the IDE HDD's on both and they both are as fast as when brand new. 

I can't find any mobo specs that say that a1220n will downclock 4200 or 5300 so my advice is, if it still has the original motherboard to stick with 3200, but  go ahead and try whatever you get, it will either boot or  it won't, but it won't hurt anything.

Good luck with it, kona. I would send you a drive, but I'm out of both IDE and SATA drives ATM.

Well to be quite honest the reason that we haven't upgraded the RAM is because we haven't ever had the money to do so. I think it would make a difference as no one I know these days uses 512MB. As for replacing the HDD, that is in the works as well, thanks for the advice.

Kona, did you not let Crucial scan your PC? Did it not say 5300?

If you're worried about it, swap it for the 3200. Upgrade is ok, 5300 will work. If my goof on ordering the SODIMM has undermined your faith in me, I'm sorry. We all make mistakes now and then.

I'm running Linux so Crucial can't scan my computer. Sorry. Your goof has no bearing on why I asked if 5300 would work. I was just trying to get some feedback. My apologies. 

Any speed will work, but will only perform at the slowest module installed.

Good seeing you in the forums, yrag.

The grinding and clackety-clacks coming from his HDD are trying to tell him something.

If more RAM will fix that, he's good to go.

I get what you are saying Wizard. I just think after a new drive is installed that the Operating System will still be slow due to lack of RAM.