So, I set-up RetroArch on my n3ds. The gpSP core runs amazingly well, and even the fast forward works great. It, also, comes with built-in cheat support, which I'm sure the OP will like. If it runs this smoothly on my n3ds, even the fast forward, I'm sure it can run well on old 3ds. The only problem I've run into is that it doesn't support encrypted cheats, and encrypted codebreaker cheats is the only type that a certain website creates .cht files in. But the mGBA Core supports cheats, too—including encrypted codebreaker cheats! The only problem with THAT emulator is that it's seemingly a bit slow, and I'm not familiar with all the various settings to make it run smoother yet, but it's not that bad; just slightly slower in sound, I guess.
ANYWAY, OP (Riktor, or something?), RetroArch is the way to go, my man. This link explains things better than I ever could:
(I would have put the link, but it's blocked as spam. :/)
Hope this helps. Oh, and it definitely supports cheats. Google is your friend; there's a mega archive for .cht files for, like, 35 or so different systems on Reddit, and you can find it with a simple Google search. So you're aware, don't try to send the files through andFTP. Lol…