I know the armor rating number keeps going up, but at what point does it not make a difference anymore? I think I read somewhere that the max reduction is 80%, what armor rating gives you that?

567 displayed armor rating. I currently have over 1500 and what a waste of perks that was

This. Idk about others but I think the armor cap should be a hard thing to get to. Something that you don't hit without using a few extra perks, having some of the best stuff you can find, or becoming a master of the Smithing skill.

As others have said it is 567, but there is a "hidden" hundered you get just from wearing four pieces of armor (not cloths), so if you are not wearing a full suit of armor (head, hands, body and feet), you may need a higher displayed armor rating (up to 667) to be at the cap.

game was supposed to have enemies with armor penetration but they didn’t make it. I am playing Wars In Skyrim mod and it really seems like I am taking a lot less damage with 1000 armor than I did with 600 armor when fighting giants.

80% reduction and thats the limit

I think its around 600 points

U see I don't want my armor rating to go ALL SKY HIGH so I just let it be on what it is for now (got light dragon armor states) and why should I make my stats so high? just because I can doesn't mean I have to btw way its get boring if you got so good armor that nothing can kill you.

If the game was designed properly, all that godly gear would still make it challenging - But after lvl 20-25 it's all over.

567 displayed kinda makes Dragon Armor useless except for the aesthetics doesn't it? My basic four piece set of Dragon Scale improved to Legendary displays at 930. Maybe they're figuring 567 is attainable without Smithing and that you can consistently obtain better individual pieces of armor through looting or purchase?

I think it may have had something to do with balancing out the various armour types. With the max at 567, pretty much all the heavy armours reach it, meaning that it's only really asthaetics as to what choice of armour you have....which fits pretty well with the perk trees. I'm still narky I had to take glass smithing to get to steel plate smithing...I wouldn't wear glass in a month of Sundas's, but still had to take the perk.

You mean elven? Glass is above steel plate.

Tyrae's AR is about 614 in smithed leather (flawless Ancient Shrouded) but her Light Amour skill has a ways to go yet.

LOL, yes, probably. That's how much that particular perk meant to me...it's the smithing equivalent of the lockpicking perks.

Elven weapons are pretty decent. Better than dwarven or orcish and given how early you can get the perk that means it serves a purpose even for a heavy armour user until they get ebony smithing.

The weapons are good but the armor looks . . . well, let's just say it looks like something a pansy Atmer would wear. I think that's why he was so down on having to take that perk to get to steel plate.