Probably all modern fast interconnects work by interleaving some kind of "physical frames" (often bytes with some 8B10B encoding) across multiple distinct serial links that are synchronized as if these frames were bits of parallel interface.
The primary reason for this design is that at current frequencies it is essentially impossible to manufacture the physical parallel interface with equal-enough wire lengths. Interestingly, memory interfaces (like DDR4) use opposite approach: the interface is still mostly parallel, but memory controller measures the delays and mismatches of the physical wires and compensates for that in its timing.
Really? That's crazy! I thought DDR was serial connections. In fact, I thought parallel connections had mostly gone the way of the dodo. Serial is just so much less complicated.
The primary reason for this design is that at current frequencies it is essentially impossible to manufacture the physical parallel interface with equal-enough wire lengths. Interestingly, memory interfaces (like DDR4) use opposite approach: the interface is still mostly parallel, but memory controller measures the delays and mismatches of the physical wires and compensates for that in its timing.