The 500GB Seagate 7200.9 Barracuda shipped in a box with a well designed system of foam blocks to keep it safe. Out of the box, it looks much like any other Seagate drive, or any brand, for that matter. Installation really was as easy as the sticker on the drive indicated. SATA drives not only give you a speed increase while in operation, but the installation takes just minutes. The Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 500GB hard drive offers incredible speed, low noise output, and what can never be overlooked with a Seagate product... the 5 year manufacturer's warranty. Finding one negative aspect for this drive wasn't easy, but I suppose we could knock it for operating warmer than any of the other drives on hand. The difference was small, still well within the safe range of operating temperatures, and adding just one low-speed cooling fan could alleviate any concerns of overheating.