[user104658]

You want an i3 or an i5 not a celeron or similar. 8gb ram, and preferably an SSD or Hybrid rather than a mechanical HD (this makes a HUGE difference in laptops). Ideally for playing the sims you'd also want a dedicated mobile graphics card but that might be asking a lot for 350, so integrated will have to do there.

I wouldn't get a Linux (Ubuntu) laptop unless you know how to use it. That said... You can get Windows 10 licences dirt cheap (like less than £10) so if you know someone who can install it for you it would be fine.