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Intel has been preparing for a Brussels hearing on 11 March to answer charges that it slashed prices below cost and offered huge rebates in an attempt to drive AMD out of the market. However, the EC has refused to confirm whether the latest raid was a part of the same investigation.

The EU watchdog claims it conducted the raids because it had reason to believe the companies "may have violated EC Treaty rules on restrictive business practices and/or abuse of a dominant market position."

"There has been a raid on our offices in Munich. As is our normal practice we are cooperating with authorities," says Chuck Mulloy, a spokesman for Intel.

DSGi, the group behind PC World and Currys, also confirmed that it was part of the sweep.

"I can confirm that officials from the EU Commission are currently conducting an inspection at our Retail Support Centre in Hemel Hempstead," says a DSG spokesman.

A number of other retailers where targeted in the sweep, including Germany's Media Markt-Saturn. The company was already being investigated for its ties to Intel.

The retailer sells PCs with Intel CPUs but not those by AMD.