A fast Pentium III is not always an advantage in DOS gaming. In a video published on 15 October 2026, Bits und Bolts demonstrates a new ESP32-C3-based throttle control for the HAWK 370 Socket 370-to-Slot 1 adapter. Its web interface lets the creator dial back a 1 GHz Coppermine system until a benchmark places it below a 386 DX-40.
The practical aim is to make speed-sensitive games usable on later hardware. The video shows The Secret of Monkey Island failing at higher speed, then running when the CPU is slowed. The controller can restore full speed on reset so the machine can complete its startup sequence. Bits und Bolts also shows the limits: Wing Commander still has inconsistent pacing, and the creator recommends its available patch over throttling for that game.
This is a prototype demonstration, not a claim that every DOS game will behave like it did on a 386. The creator credits Retro Loom’s work and Scrap Computing’s Throttle Blaster as the basis for the control approach, with ESP32 integration and monitoring added for HAWK 370. The ESP32 is described as an optional add-on, while a later board revision is still planned; the linked interest form is for gauging demand, not a preorder.
Watch the full 28-minute demonstration: I Forced a Pentium III to Emulate a 386!
