Objective To study the clinical value of CT signs and CT quantitative analysis of different subtypes of renal cell carcinoma. Methods Imaging data of 87 patients with renal cell carcinoma confirmed by surgery and biopsy in our hospital from July 2013 to July 2015 were analyzed retrospectively, according to different subtype classification, there were 43 cases in clear cell carcinoma, 26 cases in papillary renal cell carcinoma, 18 cases in chromophobe cell tumor. Plain CT scan and enhanced CT value of three subtypes of renal cell carcinoma patients were compared, lesions sizes, enhancement pattern of three subtypes of renal cell carcinoma were compared, relationship between the subtypes of renal cell carcinoma and the CT signs were analyzed. Results Cortical phase CT value, tangible CT value and excretion phase CT value of patients with papillary renal cell carcinoma were significantly higher than patients with chromophobe cell tumor (P<0.05), patients with homogeneous enhancement in clear cell carcinoma patients was 23.26%, which was significantly lower than papillary renal cell carcinoma patients (57.69%) and chromophobe cell tumor patients (66.67%) (P<0.05), the incidence of necrosis and cystic degeneration in clear cell carcinoma patients were 81.40%, which were significantly higher than the papillary renal cell carcinoma (57.69%) and chromophobe cell tumor (22.22%), the incidence of necrosis and cystic degeneration in chromophobe cell tumor were significantly lower than papillary renal cell carcinoma, the incidence of tumors with clear margin in clear cell carcinoma patients was 30.23%, which was significantly lower than papillary renal cell carcinoma (76.92%) and chromophobe cell tumor(88.89%) (P<0.05). Conclusion There are some differences in CT features of different subtypes of renal cell carcinoma, CT signs and CT quantitative analysis can judge subtypes of renal cell carcinoma initially in clinic, they have a certain clinical guidance value for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma.