Was hoping patch 1.05 would finally eliminate the load stutter. It most probably is me since I don't have the recommended cpu(specs below). I don't use an SSD either so that might contribute to it(though no mention of SSD in requirements).

The stutter I get is very small but very annoying. I would assume it is asset loading(textures, building and the like). I can run forward in an unpopulated(NPCs) area like a flat field and every so often is a small hiccup. Yet if I stay still and rotate the camera it's a steady 60fps. Even in very populated areas.

I don't have any overheating on gpu or cpu. I put all settings to low and still have the issue.

My specs are:
i5 3570k(stock)
MSI GTX 980 4GB Gaming Edition(stock)
8GB Memory DDR3
Win 7

Is it just me and I need to get a better cpu/ssd or just is the W3 still not yet fully optimized?

My GTX 970 finally arrived today and while the game runs very well now, I immediately noticed a stutter effect as well. The weird thing is I've a decent CPU (i5 4760k @ TB 3.8GHz), 8GB RAM and a Samsung 850 Pro 256GB SSD: there should be no stutter whatsoever. I remember noticing this in Witcher 2 as well.

I've a feeling this isn't really a hardware or optimization thing but something with the engine.

Have you played around with VSync or frame limiters?