AMD FX-55 and SLOOOWWW thunderbird.

[Mickey Bankhead <mickey@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I have just picked up my new desktop: AMD FX55 processor (the fat gaming 
proc, 64 bit, 2.6GHZ)  with 2GB ram.
I've installed FC4 (32 bit) without incident, and it runs GREAT!  (under 
20 minutes to install)  I then installed thunderbird - (yum).
It runs thunderbird ok, but when downloading, I got only about 1 e-mail 
per 1.5 seconds (3 minutes to download about 120 e-mails (these e-mails 
were mostly TEXT)
Is this a 64 bit/ 32 bit problem? 

Would it help if I install FC4 64 bit?  amd will that limit me on yum 
downloads too much?  I don't know 64 bit stuff much....
-Mickey