Every process takes atleast a little bit of memory/processing power. So yes as a matter of these things, downloading will slow your computer, but it should not be anything excesively more than the way running an internet browser slows your computer.
The real slowdown occurs when these downloaded programs are installed, or the download method installs spyware, etc.
The average program makes little difference, but add them up with viruses, spyware/adware, and it's more processor power wasted on things you do not wish to have running.
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