Long thread over on Odforce http://forums.odforce.net/topic/30862-is-amd-potentially-risky-threadripper/ [forums.odforce.net]
but the very latest Intel i9's aren't discussed.

Are there any Houdini users in the same boat as me, wanting to upgrade but not sure what path to take(AMD vs Intel)?

Are there any benchmarks yet out for the newest i9's that are relevant to Houdini users?