The impact of cryogenic temperature operation (10 K) on the short channel effects and low frequency noise was analysed on strained and unstrained n-channel FinFET transistors fabricated on silicon on insulator (SOI) substrates in order to evaluate the devices static performances and to study the low frequency noise mechanisms. The main electrical parameters are investigated and it is evidenced that even at very low temperatures, the strain-engineering techniques boost the devices performances in terms of mobility, threshold voltage, access resistances and drain saturation currents. The DIBL effect, Early voltage and the intrinsic gain are ameliorated only for the short channel devices. A drawback, however, is that slightly improved turn-on capabilities may be noted for standard channel devices compared to strained ones. Low frequency noise measurements show that the carrier number fluctuations dominate the flicker noise in weak inversion even at 10 K operation. Access resistance noise contributions were evidenced in strong inversion. 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.