Windows XP uses lots of resource for showing visual items. If you disable some visual effects and 
styles you can save some system resources. It helps to speed up windows display but your windows may look ugly instead of sexy. To optimize your Display settings on windows Xp follow this steps:
1. Click the Start button and then Select Control Panel
2. Then Double-click the System icon > Click the Advanced tab
3. Then In the Performance box click Settings and Leave only the following options ticked. This is the best settings i used on windows Xp:
Use visual styles on windows and buttons
Use drop shadows for icons labels on the desktop
Show shadows under menus
Show shadows under mouse pointer
Show translucent selection rectangle
4. The last step is, click Apply and OK to use that settings.
Note: plz note that if you don’t like diaabling windows visual styles you can always enable that.