Computer Memory - Silly Question?

I am upgrading my memory, and in order to get the full performance of my computer.. I have to remove my old ones from their ports and replace them with new ones..

when i take out the old memory, what specifically will be lost. and how do i back it up, if i can?

I am assuming you mean the ram in which case dont worry as no data is stored when power is off.

Nothing will be gone, RAM is just used temporary by running processes and not permanently. Make sure that the type and speed is compatible with your motherboard. For example a motherboard compatible to DDR 2 PC5400 and PC4800 will only be compatible with DDR 2 PC4800 or PC5400.

Nothing will be lost when you remove your computer's memory (RAM). Everything on your computer is stored on a hard drive, not in the memory. The memory is just like a faster version of your hard drive that is used to temporarily hold information for running programs and the like. In fact, when your computer is turned off, everything in your memory is wiped anyway. So, there is no need for backup, just pop out the old memory sticks and put in the new ones and you're ready to go. Good luck!

nothing will be