Dell is continuing its push into the retail sector with the announcement that it will begin selling its Alienware PCs through US electronics retailer Best Buy.

The exclusive deal will put the company's Aurora desktop models in some 200 stores throughout the US and online at a price of $1,699.

Best Buy hopes that the move will expand its reach with high-end gamers and those seeking to move up to a premium system.

The Aurora desktops will sport quad-core AMD Phenom processors, dual ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics cards and 4Gb of memory.

"People are defining themselves by the products they choose and the groups they associate with," said Michael Tatelman, vice president of global consumer sales and marketing at Dell.

"Individuals who choose the Alienware Aurora are saying: 'I am a serious gamer and user who demands the best in personal computing.'"

The deal marks another milestone in Dell's efforts to transform its direct sales model into an approach supplemented by retail sales. The company has inked storefront deals with the likes of Wal-Mart, Tesco, Carrefour and Carphone Warehouse.

Rethinking its sales model has been a central part of Dell's efforts to rebuild itself in the wake of founder Michael Dell's return to the company and Dell's subsequent efforts to regain its dominant position in the consumer market.