Objective To analyze the features of computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with acute cerebral infarction. Methods According to the inclusion exclusion criteria, 800 patients with acute cerebral infarction in our hospital from January 2016 to April 2018 were selected in the study. Among them, 288 patients with the time from onset to admission less than 6h (super acute phase), 240 cases (acute phase) with 6 to 24h, 272 cases (subacute phase) with 1d to 14d. The imaging data of CT, MRI and clinical medical records were analyzed retrospectively, the diagnostic value of CT and MRI in the acute cerebral infarction was compared, the imaging features were analyzed. Results In any time of the acute cerebral infarction, the detection rate of cerebral infarction with MRI was significantly higher than that with CT (P<0.05). There was no obvious abnormality in CT influences at super acute period, there were early low density imaging, obscure boundary of cortical and white matter, lenticular and insular symptoms, changes of sulcular gyrus, ventricle and cerebral cistern in acute phase and subacute phase, there were high-density signs of middle cerebral artery or basilar artery after large vessel occlusion. There was significantly high signal expression of diffuse weighted image (DWI) in hyperacute phase MRI, there were no obvious signal changes of TIWI, T2WI, FLAIR. There was DWI high signal at acute period with MRI and low signal of TIWI, T2WI, FLAIR were high signal, the signal intensity of T2WI and FLAIR was weaker than DWI. There were DWI high signal, TIWI low signal, T2WI and FLAIR high signal, stronger signal intensity of T2WI FLAIR than DWI in subacute period with MRI. Conclusion CT and MRI in patients with acute cerebral infarction at any time can provide a more complete imaging basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment, which deserves clinical attention.