Then go with the PCLinuxOS KDE 64-bit version. Should go just fine. Select the "Live CD" option at boot. Will load the system into RAM, then you can verify it will work with all your hardware. On the desktop, you'll see an "Install" icon. Click on that when you're ready to go.
My new machine doesn’t have a DVD burner so I download the software on a flash drive and then move it to the HP and burn an image on a DVD.
Can't you just download directly to your HP?
“Can’t you just download directly to your HP?”
I’d rather not. With XP the machine is risky and the ESET antivirus I was using has expired. I’ve only fired it up offline since MSFT ceased supporting XP.