You will get the most work done with the most cores. This project is cpu intensive. Core speed is important also, but with a modern cpu, the more you have the better. Xeons are good, but can be expensive. They are server chips which are designed to run 24/7. There are several people who have top of the line Threadrippers who are puting out an impressive number of units. Whichever one you choose, make sure you get a good cooling solution, as heat can throttle performance and in extreme cases shorten the life of your system.
Cheers

I would recommend a Ryzen 2700. It has 8 cores/16 threads, is reasonably priced and energy efficient. This is key, as electricity cost adds up over time and rivals cost of hardware over time.
Xeons are also good, but too expensive in my view.
A Threadripper 2990WX is also good, 32 cores/64 threads, but expensive and cooling harder to handle. Probably not a good choice for a beginner.

You don't need a lot of RAM, i run 16 thread linux machines with 4GB.

thank you everyone. =) i now know what to look for.

Sorry to hear your bad news.

I would add though... If you are looking for AMD and not in a huge rush, I would wait for their Ryzen 3 due in two months. They go as many as 16 cores for the price of the current Intel 10 core CPU price although final price is not yer determined.

(A belated welcome) to WCG and sorry to hear of your sad news. In truth many of us will have been brought here in similar circumstances.

I would be interested to hear what CPU and rig you eventually decided to use and any thoughts you have it.